Work to reopen Route 611 in the Delaware Water Gap area is getting underway more than a year-and-a-half after a rockslide led to the road's closure.
The move comes after the National Park Service (NPS) approved the state Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) special use permit application earlier this week.
PennDOT officials said they expect it will take roughly eight to 10 weeks to complete the project.
Plans call for the installation of a temporary, free-standing rockfall barrier which will allow two-way traffic to flow while officials work to find a more permanent solution.
Heavy rains led to a rockslide along Mount Minsi in December 2022, and the road has remained closed since then — in large part because of an impasse due to statutory limitations faced by NPS and PennDOT, U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright's office said.
Brokering a solution
Cartwright led a series of interagency meetings to move the project ahead, bringing together all levels of government from the U.S. Senate to Congress, the state legislator, county and municipal officials.
“This is what happens when we come together at all levels of government and I’m proud of what we accomplished as a team,” Cartwright said. “I want to thank State Senator Rosemary Brown and State Representative Tarah Probst and all the offices who joined the cause to get the necessary repairs expedited and to get Route 611 back up and running. Today’s announcement is proof that locking arms delivers real results for the people we serve.”
Park Service officials agreed.
"The NPS is very pleased that Route 611 will finally be reopened to traffic once the temporary barriers are installed, bringing much needed and long-awaited relief to local communities and their residents in a manner that addresses safety concerns while also protecting significant park resources — Mount Minsi and the Delaware Water Gap — from permanent impairment," NPS spokesperson Kathleen Sandt said.
"This temporary solution will keep traffic flowing while the agencies involved conduct a thorough and open analysis of alternatives related to several much-needed projects within the Route 611 corridor between Portland and Delaware Water Gap," Sandt added.
What the work entails
PennDOT’s contractor was scheduled to begin moving barrier and other safety equipment into the area today.
Work will include roadway grading and realignment, officials said, and the installation of free-standing metal posts, concrete barriers and protective chain-link fencing.
Next week, PennDOT is scheduled to install worker protection fencing, perform preliminary work to install the barrier, and begin excavation work, officials said.
