x
Breaking News
More () »

Thruway Project Plans Hit a Snag

MONROE TOWNSHIP — The northern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project is coming along on schedule. The road will bypass Routes 11 and 1...

MONROE TOWNSHIP -- The northern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project is coming along on schedule. The road will bypass Routes 11 and 15 between the Northumberland and Selinsgrove areas.

But according to PennDOT, construction on the southern section will be delayed because ground near Shamokin Dam contains fly ash.

The reason why PennDOT cannot build a highway on top of fly ash is because the ash cannot hold the weight of the highway and there is the risk of the highway settling and deforming.

PennDOT knew about the fly ash and intended to build the new highway there anyway. Now it needs to find a new route for the southern section of the project.

Carol Reichenbach and her mother Danee Snyder live along the area where the highway could go.

"Maybe they'd make a decision soon and get it over with so everybody will quit wondering what's going on," Reichenbach said.

"I guess when there's environmental issues involved, you've got to do what you've got to do," Snyder said. "If they want to move me somewhere else I'll go peacefully."

"Hopefully, if they ever bought my mom's house, she'd move to Florida," Reichenbach added.

PennDOT officials say at this point there is no additional cost to the project, and they do not anticipate a significantly longer route.

"This has been going on for so many years. It's like, is it really going to happen?" Snyder asked.

PennDOT has scheduled a public meeting scheduled for February 15 at the Selinsgrove Middle School to get input on a new route. The southern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project is still scheduled to break ground sometime in 2019.

Before You Leave, Check This Out