MOUNTAIN TOP -- Police in two Luzerne County departments are out to make a construction zone safer.
Police and PennDOT said there are problems with truck traffic and aggressive drivers along Route 309 and they intend to do something about it.
Work to widen the rock cuts and improve drainage on Route 309, between the Wilkes-Barre and Mountain Top areas began last month. PennDOT said it will improve safety here, especially in the winter.
Any big construction project raises traffic issues. Cars and trucks are squeezed down to one lane in each direction and police have reported problems.
Here is what happens next: the Hanover Township and Fairview Township Police are getting state money to help with a crack down. It will help police keep an eye on aggressive drivers.
There will also be a ban on truck traffic going up the mountain at any time. Trucks will be banned from going down the mountain from 4 a.m. until 11 p.m. The detour is 26 miles.
The special state funding for the Hanover and Fairview departments will last until September.
PennDOT and police are due to release specifics Monday afternoon.
As for the construction project itself, it will cost more than $5 million and it's scheduled to be finished in November.