FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP -- Things are finally getting back to normal along Route 309 in Luzerne County. The busy road has been down to one lane each direction since April due to construction.
"Sometimes there's a lot of traffic, you know coming up the mountain after work and stuff like that. When the blasting was going on, we would be held up," Dorothy Kutz of Mountain Top said.
The project was part of a $5.2 million safety enhancement program. Over the last several months, crews worked to widen the rock cut to help reduce water runoff.
PennDOT says the project will also allow more sunlight to hit the road, which could help reduce ice from forming during the winter.
Bonnie Bouika says she's happy the road is opening now that it's January.
"I was really wondering how they would get the snow between like single lanes because it was really tight. They had the little pull off lanes but if for some reason somebody was having a hard time getting up the mountain, everybody would have a hard time," Bouika said.
Businesses in the area say they have seen fewer customers since the construction project started.
"A lot of the customers don't want to come up the mountain because all of the road work and stuff and congestion," Diane Fitzgerald of Carone's Market said.
Carone's Market is just down the road from the construction and they're anxious for all lanes to reopen, not just the workers, but also the shoppers.
"It was a very long project. It was supposed to be done in I think October. Here it is January and they're just taking the road blocks down," Bouika said.
PennDOT officials tell Newswatch 16 the road was scheduled to open Tuesday.
Due to snow and ice on the road, it will now reopen on Thursday.
PennDOT says the truck detour will also be lifted on Thursday.
