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Traffic Slow on Interstate 81 in Lackawanna, Luzerne Counties

Traffic on Interstate 81 between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, both northbound and southbound, was affected by several road and police projects Wednesday. PennDOT ...

Traffic on Interstate 81 between Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, both northbound and southbound, was affected by several road and police projects Wednesday.

interstate81_delays_map

PennDOT put out an alert Wednesday morning about four single-lane restrictions on I-81.

  • Northbound near Dickson City for power line work
  • Southbound near Dunmore for crash reconstruction
  • Northbound near Avoca for roadwork
  • Southbound just south of Wilkes-Barre for bridge repairs

If you've taken a drive to see the season's reds, oranges, and yellows, you may have seen those colors morph a bit to the neon variety. That's a little less pleasant to look at.

Several projects on Interstate 81 in Lackawanna and Luzerne Counties have made the highway a gridlock.

Charles McNeil got stuck in it on his way to Florida. Traffic in northeastern Pennsylvania is something he budgets for.

"Yes, I do because there was a lot of construction the last two or three years I've been driving up from Florida."

For local folks, it feels like deja vu all this week.

PennDOT crews have been doing crack sealing both northbound and southbound between Scranton and Avoca. Couple that with bridge repairs that PennDOT officials say they did, in part, because traffic was already down to one lane.

Then, utility workers were out near Dickson City hanging wires and state police closed down I-81 south at times for a fatal crash investigation.

Jamie Heenan felt lucky she already planned to take a detour to work.

"I've seen a backup, basically on Pittston Avenue, so instead of taking Pittston, I rerouted and went through South Webster or South Irving."

PennDOT says this perfect storm should be the worst of it, though some crack sealing work will continue into next week. so, you may want to take a page from Jamie's book.

"I think most of the locals figured it out as well."

We've talked to plenty of people who, at this point in the week, have found ways to avoid Interstate 81 by taking alternate routes. Some drivers though, don't have that luxury, like, the delivery drivers who have stops all along I-81.

"It's been kind of hectic," said Kerwin Johnson of Bethlehem. "It seems that the traffic patterns have been horrible especially on 81."

Johnson got a bad deal. The traffic-filled week has him behind on deliveries.

"I owe the traffic, I'd say, 50 percent."

PennDOT says its projects on Interstate 81 will continue Thursday. Workers will not be out Friday and they will continue working on this stretch of the highway through Tuesday of next week.

Get the latest traffic information with WNEP's Traffic Tracker.

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