SHAMOKIN DAM -- Anybody who drives Routes 11 and 15 in the Shamokin Dam area of Snyder County knows that even on a good day, traffic can be a challenge.
But the situation is worse this week because PPL is fixing power lines, causing all kinds of traffic backups, and we're right in the midst of the Christmas shopping season.
Vehicles were backed up on Routes 11 and 15 for about two miles since the beginning of this week.
"Just to get onto the strip, if you're coming from Sunbury and getting on the bypass, it's ridiculous," a Snyder County resident told Newswatch 16.
"I came from Northumberland today and all the way down it was pretty crowded. I noticed on the way up to Northumberland, as I exited, there was a lot of traffic. It was backed up probably about a mile," Sue Fletcher said.
It's all because PPL is finishing what the company calls a major project, replacing power lines. A representative for PPL says it was a regulatory regional requirement for the lines to be repaired by the end of this year. The work was done this week because this was the week the final phase of the project fell on, and certain power lines needed to be put out of service.
Even so, Routes 11 and 15 is a busy stretch of roadway, which PennDOT says around 45,000 people travel on each day.
"I come down here every day in this traffic. The other day it took us like hours and hours," a woman said.
In addition to the heavy traffic affecting drivers, it's also affecting businesses in Shamokin Dam.
"Has actually hurt our business a little bit. A lot of people we're talking to are just very frustrated trying to move from one end of the strip to the other," David Melhorn said.
Many people, like Sue Fletcher of Kulpmont came to this area to shop for Christmas presents at the Monroe Marketplace Shopping Plaza and the Susquehanna Valley Mall.
"It's pretty hectic today, but 'tis the season," Fletcher said.
"More traffic normally already and then this just makes it worse," Melhorn said.
PPL apologized for the traffic backups. The company representative said the project will provide people in central Pennsylvania with more reliable electrical service. Even so, people around here say they are glad the project is finished, so traffic can return to normal.