The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 9, which oversees the design, construction and maintenance of more than 4,000 miles of roads and 2,000 bridges in Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Fulton, Huntingdon and Somerset counties, is urging the public to exercise safety and caution on the roads while traveling in the area to view the Union Pacific Big Boy No. 4014 in July 2026.

PennDOT is working with emergency management agencies and local authorities to ensure the safety of train enthusiasts and drivers throughout the District.

PennDOT will be deploying message boards and cones in critical areas along high-speed, high-volume routes to restrict shoulder parking, including on the Interstate 99 Interchange in Tyrone, and U.S. 22 in Blair County.

Message boards will also be used to inform the public of road closures as a result of special event permits. For example, message boards will be used to inform drivers that the Horseshoe Curve National Historic Landmark will be closed, and Route 4008 (Veterans Memorial Highway) will be blocked to ALL traffic except VIP badge holders during a scheduled event by way of special event permit. (The potential exists for additional roads to be closed by way of special event permit closure as the event dates nears.)

PennDOT urges drivers to exercise safety while traveling to view the train with the following tips:

USE DESIGNATED PARKING AREAS

Arrive early at designated parking locations and take the shuttle to designated viewing stations.

DO NOT PARK OR STOP ON THE SHOULDER

Stopping roadside or parking on a shoulder to view the train is dangerous and creates the potential for traffic disruption, vehicle-pedestrian interaction, and distracted driving accidents. Obey message board and coned shoulder restrictions.

DO NOT PARK or WALK IN ACTIVE WORK ZONES

Active work zones present additional dangers of unstable surfaces and vehicle hazards, such as impaired visibility, and shifting and unpredictable traffic patterns..

DO NOT PACE, RACE OR OUTMANEUVER THE TRAIN

Do not pace the train, race from one stop to another, or try to outmaneuver the train at a crossing. Pacing the train – driving parallel to the tracks at the same speed – causes traffic disruptions and unnecessary delays. Drivers attempting to beat or outmaneuver trains at crossings cause severe, often fatal, accidents due to impatience, misjudging speed, or panic.

DO NOT FILM or PHOTOGRAPH WHILE DRIVING

Beginning June 5, 2026, drivers convicted of using a hand-held device while driving – to text, film or photograph or for any reason – will pay a $50 fine, plus court costs and other fees. Additionally, depending on the circumstances, drivers who violate Paul Miller’s Law or the texting-while-driving ban may also be convicted of Homicide by Vehicle or Aggravated Assault by Vehicle, and given increased sentences.

Drivers can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional X alerts.             

Access to the Horseshoe Curve grounds will be restricted to ticket holders only, and tickets are sold out, according to the Railroaders Memorial Museum website.....If you are a ticket holder for the Horseshoe Curve grounds, the museum indicates admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. When the upper grounds at trackside reach capacity, they will be closed and viewing permitted only from the designated lower areas.

I wish they would be as attentive to our potholes, 18 wheelers driving erratically, people on cell phones.

But by all means, worry about a transient event.