SCRANTON, Pa. -- An old wall that was part of a train station in downtown Scranton will soon be torn down to make way for another type of transportation -- foot traffic.
The city of Scranton, Lackawanna County, and a downtown business are working together on the effort.
A century ago, this is the spot where you could catch a train out of Scranton. Now, cars whiz by, headed toward southside and Interstate 81, and the wall outside the former Lackawanna Station is showing its age.
Lackawanna County officials have won a state grant to remove the crumbling wall on the side of Lackawanna Avenue and create a sidewalk leading to a bus stop and the Radisson Lackawanna Station Hotel.
"I've been here going on two years and over there, obviously, there's no sidewalk. so, people are walking in the flow of traffic and it can be somewhat dangerous. I've actually walked along that wall before. Never almost got hit or anything, but you can see how it would be an issue," said Michael Perri, a worker at Kildare's Irish Pub.
County officials say the $350,000 project was created with safety in mind but it will also better connect this area with the rest of downtown Scranton.
Part of the project will include creating a crosswalk where Lackawanna Avenue and Jefferson Avenue meet.
"Here, it's really not that easy to walk to, you know what I mean? You can walk down the street that way, but you kind of lose people this way. You don't want to drive, pay for an Uber. Now, if they have a sidewalk, they can just walk right over," Perri said.
Lackawanna County Commissioner Pat O'Malley says the grant was a joint effort between county and city governments and the Radisson hotel.
"We have two of our biggest hotels here. We have the Hilton, Radisson, and our visitors center is going to be right across the street here. We have visitors who walk out of the Radisson, and they might want to walk down the street this way. They're not really able to if they come out on the street.," said O'Malley.
Work on the new sidewalk is set to begin this summer and could wrap up by the end of the year.