DUNMORE -- It will soon be spring construction season, and it is already starting off with a bang in Lackawanna County.
PennDOT announced Monday that part of the Casey Highway will be under construction, and it will definitely affect travel on other highways.
PennDOT will start to work on a part of the interstate next week at the Interstate 81 and 380 split, where four highways including the Casey Highway (Route 6) actually converge. The construction will affect two of the busiest sections of the split.
The highway ramp in Dunmore, that took our live truck less than 30 seconds to travel, could create several weeks’ worth of headaches for drivers coming from Lackawanna, Wayne, and Monroe Counties.
PennDOT officials said the concrete pavement at the very end of the Casey Highway needed to be fixed.
The stretch is a connector road for drivers on the Casey going toward Interstate 81 north, and for drivers on I-84/380 looking to exit at Throop/Dunmore. PennDOT officials said the concrete repairs will take about six weeks to finish.
"Because of this, we do have to go back and close down portions of the road, and it's being closed down in some very, very heavily trafficked areas," said James May, a PennDOT spokesperson.
May said PennDOT will start posting detour signs this week on the Casey Highway west, and on I-84/380. He said to pay attention to the signs, because the closure may not be during your commute.
"Certain work can only be done during the day, other work we can do at night. That we can be doing at night, we will be doing at night. But, a lot of that will be taking place during the day," said May.
PennDOT officials said when they close the ramp next Monday, work will be done during the day for a few weeks. Then, until the April or May end date, work will be done mostly at night, but the ramp will be closed completely until the work is done.