PITTSBURGH (TNS) — During a January snowstorm, a pregnant hospice nurse navigates icy roads over 35 miles from Ford City to Lawrenceville.

She and many other motorists comment on Rt. 28 road conditions on the Facebook page Don’t Wait on 28!

“De-icing bridge is still not de-iced going SB (South Bound) and is still claiming victims. Slicker than dog [expletive],” says one post.

Established a decade ago, the Facebook group formed for the “unfortunate souls who have to travel Route 28.”

A lengthy multi-year reconstruction project on the state road known officially as Alexander H. Lindsay Highway impacted commuters on about 44 miles between Pittsburgh and Kittanning in Armstrong County. Lanes and exits were regularly temporarily closed along the Allegheny County portion.

More than a year ago, PennDOT completed a $47.3 million improvement project to add lanes at a bottleneck at the Highland Park Bridge interchange and improve other portions of Rt. 28.

Though their daily commute is better, the Facebook page founded by frustrated motorists is going strong with almost 44,000 followers.

“I feel like our Don’t wait on 28! group is still vibrant because there are always accidents or construction on Rt. 28 daily,” said Travis Preisner, of Vandergrift, a former first responder and an administrator for the page.

Yes, the Waze app, Google traffic maps, 511PA PennDOT cameras and other information sources provide news on traffic back-ups and wait times. But they can’t take the place of this informative and spirited site. Don’t Wait on 28! is more granular and personal than the other more official sources.

And more fun, too.

One motorist witnessed a hit-and-run incident and posted a request for others to provide dash cam video if they had it. Another poster called out to the driver of a black Dodge, alerting them that their left tail light and brake lights weren’t working.

Brian Stepansky recently alerted other motorists to a Ryder rental truck heavily leaning to one side while on Rt. 28.

“Yeah, I was posting for safety mostly,” he said.

He checks the page every morning to avoid congested areas.

“I like that other drivers are looking out and sharing when there is a situation,” he said.

Huge, tire-busting potholes have been a recent hot topic on Don’t Wait on 28!, with motorists posting the exact locations of pitted roads near the Pittsburgh Mills mall in Frazer.

Popular suggestions included getting a “jumping car,” careening into another vehicle to avoid them, or opening a tire and alignment shop at the mall.

“It’s like a crowd-sourced information sharing system that maybe makes people feel like they have power and have information they would have had to search hard for,” said Elise Silva, director of policy research at the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security.

Her group has been studying Facebook groups in the region and recently published the report “News Sources and Trust in Information in Southwest Pennsylvania.”

Facebook groups are filling some voids left by the decline of local news, she said.

Although people receive more news digitally than in the past, the internet information environment is fractured.

“It’s not curated in the same way and leaves an interesting gap,” she said.

“These Facebook groups rival the traditional reach of newspapers with tens of thousands of people following them.”

The way people behave on the page is determined by the culture of the group and the moderators of the content, she said.

“It’s not like you’re going to gossip about roads. Roads seem like a neutral subject.”

But not snowy roads. Some users get surly when posting about less-than-adept snow drivers. Then there’s pushback from other motorists.

“Getting really tired of the ‘learn to drive in PA snow’ or ‘if you have to ask just stay home’ posts,” one motorist posted.

“God forbid some of us have lost a loved one due to driving in poor weather. Or have anxiety. Or an emergency that we HAVE to go out for. Or a job that we might get fired from. It cost literally nothing to be nice, yet so many of you chose not to.”

Other motorists commented, admitting they are not the best winter drivers. Some said they must drive to assist others in some way, such as providing care to veterans in need of dialysis.

Humanity — or the lack of it — is on full display.

“It’s not a sign of weakness to be polite,” one motorist wrote.

Preisner said wintertime and accompanying concerns about road conditions brings an increase in posts on the Facebook page.

There’s always something to report about Rt. 28, he said.

“We do appreciate everyone that is or has been a part of the page over the years.”

Preisner doesn’t need to travel the highway on a regular basis these days because of a job change. But that doesn’t stop him from helping out on Don’t Wait on 28!

Another person who recently broke free from the daily grind of the Rt. 28 commute posted on the page.

“Enjoy your newly acquired happy and stress-free life,” one driver said in congratulation.

Another responded with a line from the Eagles’ song “Hotel California”:

“You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.”