A political convoy of hundreds of vehicles are expected to disrupt travel on Lehigh Valley roads this weekend, state police said.
Pennsylvania State Police in Bethlehem said the convoy is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Sunday in North Whitehall. The vehicles are expected to depart Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays, 2750 Limestone St. and follow this route:
- Levans Road and turn onto Route 329 and Old Post Road.
- Continue on Route 329 to Route 145 and MacArthur Road.
- Turn right at the traffic light onto Route 145 and MacArthur Road.
- Take Route 145 and MacArthur Road down to Route 22.
- Travel onto Route 22 west and continue onto Interstate 78 west.
- Take Exit 49B to merge onto Route 100 north, toward Fogelsville.
- Follow Route 100 north to Route 309; turn right onto Route 309, toward Schnecksville.
- Follow Route 309 and make a left at the CVS onto Levans Road.
- Follow Levans Road and make a right onto Limestone Street, heading back to Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays.
It’s anticipated the traffic disruptions will cause secondary roads throughout the region to be impacted, state police said.
Additionally, motorists are being reminded to adhere to the rules of the road and make travel plans in advance. Troopers will be “proactively and aggressively” patrolling the region for motorists who operate their vehicle in an unsafe manner, state police said.
A news release issued by state police in Bethlehem on Friday didn’t elaborate on any specific political party tied to the convoy. However, Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays is co-owned by Lehigh Valley Republican Bill Bachenberg. Bachenberg, according to his Linked-In profile, sits on the Board of Directors for the National Rifle Association.
Bachenberg was among 19 Republicans certified by former U.S. President Donald Trump to cast votes for him should he prevail on Nov. 5. He had been on Trump’s list in 2020, as well.
The convoy comes two days before Election Day on Tuesday. A crowd of about 1,000 people gathered at Lehigh Valley Sporting Clays Monday evening for an appearance by Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., WFMZ-69 News reports. The former president returned to the region a day earlier for a rally held at the PPL Center in Allentown.
Democratic presidential candidate, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, also is expected to visit Allentown on Monday in a “Get Out the Vote” rally.
Pennsylvania is considered a major prize in presidential elections, with more electoral votes than any other battleground state. There are just five days to go in a tight campaign between Trump and Vance and Harris and Minnesota Gov. Walz.
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Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com.