PennDOT officials have $276 million in new construction projects planned for the state's six-county northeast region this year, including a long-awaited improvement to Interstate 81 access in Luzerne County.
The anticipated work across Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Engineering District 4, which covers Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties, includes 102 new projects.
Crews also will be working on an additional 99 continuing projects worth an estimated $850 million, District Executive Richard N. Roman said.
A list of notable projects follows at the bottom of this story.
The district has 4,000 miles of roads and 2,100 bridges, he noted. The planned work includes 140 miles of roadway improvements, 175 bridges to be addressed, 550 miles of seal coat, 975 miles of crack seal and 720 miles of shoulder cutting.
It also includes ongoing efforts, such as streetscape projects in Pittston and Nanticoke.
"So this year, in District 4, we'll have over 200 active projects for over a billion dollars in value," Roman said. "We're very proud of that."
Biggest project: I-84 bridges
The district's biggest project will be the continuing $130 million replacement of the "twin bridges" on Interstate 84 in Lackawanna County, a five-year effort that is about halfway done.
In Scranton, meanwhile, work will include resurfacing the North Scranton Expressway, some slope repair along Keyser Avenue, and preservation work on seven bridges.
Crews also will be working on an intersection improvement project on Route 348 in Jefferson Township.
Plains Township I-81 link
In Luzerne County, one of the most notable works will be a bridge replacement project on Route 115 over Interstate 81 in Plains Township. As part of that project, motorists will be given a ramp to travel from Route 115 northbound to I-81 southbound.
Currently, motorists coming down 115 from the Bear Creek area do not have a direct path onto the interstate.
"That's been long awaited in the area," Roman said. "That's a project we've all been looking forward to."
He expects that project will go out to bid in late May, get underway this summer and take several years to complete.
State funding
PennDOT officials noted that Gov. Josh Shapiro's 2023-24 budget secured $125 million to fully leverage federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) investments and improve Pennsylvania’s roads and bridges.
"These investments support the Shapiro Administration’s vision of a safe and reliable transportation network that connects Pennsylvanians to greater opportunity," a District 4 release said.
The investment is made possible by decoupling Pennsylvania State Police funding from the Motor License Fund and is the first year of Shapiro's four-year proposal to invest an additional $1.25 billion in the state’s infrastructure.
NEW PROJECTS BY COUNTY
Following are notable projects that are expected to begin this year, by county:
Lackawanna County
- Resurfacing project on Route 11 (North Scranton Expressway) and bridge preservation on 7 bridges in the city of Scranton, Lackawanna County.
- Slope repair and wall replacement project on Route 3011 (Keyser Ave) in the city of Scranton, Lackawanna County.
- Intersection improvement project on Route 348 in Jefferson Township, Lackawanna County.
- Bridge preservation project on Route 3020 (Linden Street) over Lackawanna County Railroad in the city of Scranton, Lackawanna County.
Luzerne County
- Culvert replacement project on Route 1012 (Chase Road) over Harvey’s Creek in Jackson Township, Luzerne County.
- Culvert replacement project on Route 1044 (Mount Olivet Road) over Abraham’s Creek in Kingston Township, Luzerne County.
- Superstructure replacement project on Route 3019 (Stockton Mountain Road) over Hazle Creek in Hazle Township, Luzerne County.
- Bridge rehabilitation project on Route 1050 over Toby Creek Bridge in Kingston Township, Luzerne County.
- Bridge replacement project on Route 115 over Interstate 81 in Plains Township, Luzerne County.
Pike County
- Resurfacing project on Route 590 in Lackawaxen Township, Pike County.
- Structure replacement project on Route 390 (Promised Land Road) over Promised Land Lake in Greene Township, Pike County.
Susquehanna County
- Bridge replacement project on Route 367 over Branch Tuscarora Creek in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County.
- Bridge replacement project on Route 3004 over Tributary to Riley Creek in Auburn Township, Susquehanna County.
- Existing structure replacement project on Route 247 over Dundaff Creek in Clifford Township, Susquehanna County.
Wayne County
- Bridge replacement project on Route 590 (Mount Cobb Highway) in Salem Township, Wayne County.
- Bridge replacement project on Route 3002 (Spring Hill Road) over Stephen’s Creek in Sterling Township, Wayne County.
- Resurfacing project on Route 296 (Eaton Turnpike) in South Canaan Township, Route 170 (Creek Drive) in Clinton Township, Route 3016 (Keystone Road) in Lake Township, Route 3019 (Keystone Road) in Lake Township, Route 6 (Roosevelt Highway) in Waymart Borough, and Route 6 (Park Street) in Honesdale Borough, Wayne County.
Wyoming County
- Resurfacing project on Route 11 in Clinton Township, Wyoming County.
- Existing structure replacement project on Route 2007 (Keelersburg Road), over Tributary Creek, Eaton Township, Wyoming County.
CONTINUING PROJECTS
Notable projects that will continue this year:
- Bridge replacement and interchange reconfiguration project on Interstate 84 over the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western (DL&W) Railroad, Roaring Brook Township, and Route 435 in Dunmore Borough, Lackawanna County.
- Resurfacing and bridge rehabilitation project on Interstate 84 eastbound and westbound in Roaring Brook Township, Lackawanna County.
- Bridge construction and reconfiguration project on Route 435 in Dunmore, Lackawanna County.
- Bridge replacement project on Route 3006 and deck replacement on Route 3002 (Creek Road) over Gardner Creek in Newton Township, Lackawanna County.
- Bridge replacement project on Parker Street over Lackawanna River in the city of Scranton, Lackawanna County.
- Route 309 intersection improvement project in Kingston and Dallas Townships, Luzerne County.
- Bridge preservation project on Route 309 over Route 2022 (Main Street), Mill Creek and Norfolk Southern Railway in Wilkes Barre, Luzerne County.
- Pittston streetscape project in Pittston, Luzerne County.
- Nanticoke streetscape project in Nanticoke, Luzerne County.
- Resurfacing and bridge preservations project on Interstate 84 eastbound and westbound in Lackawanna and Wayne counties.
- Roadway reconstruction and bridge replacement project on Interstate 84 (Fallen Trooper Memorial Highway) from Route 3005 (Forks Bridge Road) to Exit 26 (Promised Land State Park/Tafton) in Greene, Palmyra, and Sterling townships in Pike and Wayne counties.
- Interstate roadway reconstruction project on Interstate 84 (Fallen Trooper Memorial Highway) from milepost 40 to Exit 46 (Milford) in Pike County.
- Interstate roadway reconstruction and bridge replacement project on Interstate 84 (Fallen Trooper Memorial Highway) from the Palmyra Rest Area to Exit 34 (Lords Valley/Dingmans Ferry) in Palmyra and Blooming Grove townships, Pike County.
- Roadway resurfacing and bridge preservation project on Route 29 northbound and southbound in Wyoming and Susquehanna counties.
- Existing structure replacement project on Route 4008 (Silver Creek Road), Over Laurel Lake Creek in Silver Lake Township, Susquehanna County.
- Existing structure replacement project on Route 858, over Apolacon Creek in Apolacon Township, Susquehanna County.
- Bridge preservation project on Interstate 81, over Tunkhannock Creek in Lenox Township, Susquehanna County.
