AVOCA -- For months drivers have had to put up with three big construction projects along Interstate 81 in Luzerne County, all within miles of each other.
Later this week, drivers can expect even more barriers.
PennDOT crews plan to split the two northbound lanes of Interstate 81 at the Pittston exit. That split is set to happen Thursday night and remain in place until June of 2016.
PennDOT is separating the two northbound lanes so crews can replace four bridges in that section of Interstate 81.
"People will have to make a decision about a mile before they get to that split. If you're in the left hand lane, you will not be able to exit at (exit) 175. That's going to be a split where we're working in the middle section, so traffic on the left hand side will be through traffic. Traffic on the right hand side will be through traffic, or it can exit," explained PennDOT official James May.
The interchange project at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport is supposed to be finished in the next couple weeks.
The change on I-81 is the latest in ongoing traffic troubles for drivers .
But it doesn't end there. On Friday, part Of route 315 near Oak Street is scheduled to be closed and remain closed until Monday morning. It's all because of that bridge replacement project near the Dupont /Pittston exit.
It's all delaying people who live and work in the area.
"It's a distraction commuting to work. It delays coming to work and coming home," said Kevin Puzak, who works in Pittston.
PennDOT says the new traffic patterns are necessary to improve roads. But people who drive them hope the projects are completed on time.
"If it ever gets back to normal, that would be wonderful. But what is normal around here? There's always construction!"
The bridge replacement project near the Pittston exit is not scheduled to be finished until July 2017.
A third construction project along the northbound side of I-81 near Mountain top Is supposed to be completed next month.