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Gas Company Part of Solution for Decimated State Road

BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP — State transportation officials have a plan to overhaul a badly damaged Route 167 in Susquehanna County. PennDOT officials said there w...
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BROOKLYN TOWNSHIP -- State transportation officials have a plan to overhaul a badly damaged Route 167 in Susquehanna County.

PennDOT officials said there were already plans to repair Route 167, then this winter took its toll and so did countless heavy trucks used by the natural gas industry.

The result is 11 miles of road that's now a safety hazard with a fix on the way, according to PennDOT.

Unsuspecting drivers on Route 167 between Montrose and Hop Bottom have to watch out. The stretch of road is not just riddled with potholes, but also massive heaving in parts with little to no warning.

"Ten! Seems like an earthquake hit it," said James Bogart of Forest City when asked how bad the road is on a scale of 1 to 10.

Some drivers have reported flat tires and alignments knocked out of whack all because a harsh winter and heavy trucks have decimated the road.

"You got to basically drive like two miles per hour driving up here," added Bogart.

"We have some very difficult spots. Difficult is probably not the right word," said Virginia Beeman of Brooklyn Township.

"A lot of the equipment is breaking because of the roads, especially 167," said Corey McCarthy of Tunkhannock.

The 11-mile stretch needs an overhaul. PennDOT plans to spend more than $3 million to rebuild about seven miles on the northern end.

Cabot Oil and Gas will handle the other four miles since the company admits the trucks used to support the industry are partly to blame for the crumbling road.

"It's about doing the right thing. The road needs fixed. We can help do that," said George Stark of Cabot Oil and Gas.

Cabot isn't on the hook for the damage to Route 167, according to PennDOT, but in this rare case the company plans to spend more than $1 million because in the end, Cabot wants a smooth road for its trucks.

"An investment in the long haul," added Stark.

"It's good PR," said Beeman.

Some folks know it'll be rough going while crews work to fix the road, but until that happens, PennDOT urges everyone to be extra careful on Route 167.

"You've got to slow down. Realize there's a lot of issues on the road. Take your time," said PennDOT official James May.

Crews should start fixing parts of Route 167 as early as next week, said May. Then the major work will begin and could wrap up by this fall in Susquehanna County.

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