SCRANTON, Pa. — PennDOT has a preliminary plan to widen a seven-mile stretch of Interstate 81 between the Avoca exit (178) in Luzerne County to the Biden Expressway (185) in Lackawanna County.
The project proposes expanding the roadway into the existing median. Once complete, the project will include three 12-foot travel lanes and two 12-foot shoulders in both directions. PennDOT officials say Wednesday night's open house meeting is to hear how people feel about the preliminary plans.
"We'd like to have the public involved in the planning process, that their comments and suggestions are welcomed and encouraged," said PennDOT official Jessica Ruddy.
According to PennDOT, the project's main goal is to reduce the number of crashes and traffic congestion along this corridor.
We spoke with drivers about the proposed plan and got mixed reactions.
"Honestly, I think it would help if anything down there. Sometimes going down through traffic is pretty rough, so I feel like it could only help us," said Scranton resident Anthony Tooson.
"I live right here, so I'm really worried about construction and what that's going to do to travel, and but I know they need to do it. I just wish they did it ten years ago," said Dominick Vitris of Moosic.
PennDOT says this project is in the very early stages, and any possible construction would be years away, but Scranton resident Bob Sheridan already has concerns. Sheridan lives on Meadow Avenue and says he and his neighbors have dealt with flooding and water runoff from the East Mountain section of the city for decades since the interstate was built. He's worried that the water will become an issue again.
"They have to find a place to put this water. They can't just come in and put three lanes and say we got three more lanes and not worry about the people down in Dutch Hollow and Meadow Avenue."
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