Feb 4, 2023 2 min read

One of the main roads leading into Ohiopyle will be closed until at least Wednesday after a tractor-trailer crashed through a guardrail and went over a hillside near Cucumber Falls.

The tractor-trailer was traveling down the steep and winding hill on Ohiopyle Road toward the borough when it struck the guardrail and went over an embankment Wednesday morning, according to the state Department of Transportation.

The driver was not injured, but the damage to the railing forced the road’s closure until it can be repaired due to the steep drop-off near Cucumber Run.

“We have to replace it and fix it before we let people drive (on the road),” PennDOT spokesperson Melissa Maczko said.

Photographs of the crash that were posted on social media Thursday showed debris from the tractor-trailer scattered across the hillside while a couple of large tow trucks appeared to be removing the wreckage.

The closure cordoned off Ohiopyle Road between Kentuck Road near Tharp Knob picnic area and Route 381 at the Natural Water Slides. Residents who live on Ohiopyle Road – which is also known as State Route 2019 – above the crash site were still expected to be able to access their homes with the roadway being open to local traffic.

PennDOT is urging motorists to use Route 381 to travel into Ohiopyle if they’re coming from Route 40 in Farmington. But the unexpected closure could cause some headaches for weekend tourists who are unaware of the detour and are traveling from the village of Chalk Hill and use Chalk Hill-Ohiopyle and Kentuck roads that take vehicles past Kentuck Knob before descending into the valley toward Ohiopyle.

Officials at Ohiopyle State Park said Friday they were aware of the closure near Cucumber Falls, but did not expect it to affect park operations this weekend.

State police at the Uniontown barracks did not immediately release information on the crash, and firefighters at Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Department could not be reached for comment Friday.