MONROE COUNTY -- The work is slated to start Monday on Interstate 80 east from Exit 284, Route 115 to Exit 293, the junction with 380. The highway will be down to one lane 24 hours a day.
That will continue until the end of this year.
"I think it's going to cause a lot of stress and aggravation for everybody who lives in that area. People traveling east are going to have major backups in the morning and in the afternoon,” said Julius Little Jr of East Stroudsburg.
The lane restriction will only be lifted on busy holiday weekends.
Tough news for one man who visits his daughter and grandson in the Poconos.
"It's going to be a hassle. It's going to slow me down, it's going to more or less. I'm going to lose time with my family. It may stop me from coming up as often,” said John Steczak who lives in the Philadelphia area.
The work on Interstate 80 includes milling, concrete patching, sealing, paving and new pavement markings.
More than 10-thousand vehicles travel that stretch of I-80 east every day.
"It's good that they're improving it because when I'm driving my car and I'm hitting potholes, I'm sure it's not very good for the car,” said Paul Van Meerbeke of the Reeders area.
Some drivers we spoke with say they will consider alternate routes to Interstate 80.
Others say there's just no avoiding it.
“It seems like most alternate routes are gonna take me a good 45 minutes plus longer to get back and forth so you're talking about an hour and a half, two hours extra time,” said Steczak.
That same stretch of Interstate 80 westbound will be down to one lane starting next year and last through the end of the project in September 2018.