Any I-81 relief is far away

GETTING THERE: Plans to add a third lane in both directions on the frequently congested highway are seen by many as a blessing. But the prospects for the project are uncertain.

John Sposato wants Interstate 81 to be extended to three lanes in each direction.

The Weatherly resident travels from his home to Carbondale, a nearly 126-mile roundtrip trek daily. He and his staff also routinely use the bustling highway when servicing customers for his plumbing/heating business.

There is a chance Sposato’s worries of being late, dealing with aggressive drivers and highway congestion eventually may diminish. But for now, it’s still only a possibility.

The state has said its proposed widening of the 33-mile corridor between Nanticoke and Clarks Summit from two lanes to three, and the construction of two bridges near Scranton, will alleviate the strain on the heavily traveled span.

That’s good news for Sposato and thousands of other Northeastern Pennsylvanians.

“I have 15 guys that work for me, and they are late every day because of road traffic and they are late getting home, too, because of the interstate,” Sposato said.

But there’s a flipside. The project won’t be completed for nearly two decades – if it happens at all. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says the project could be complete by 2025.

So far, $9 million – or less than 1 percent – of the $1 billion price tag has been secured to add a third lane in each direction.

“A third lane would be wonderful,” Sposato said. “There’s a lot of heavy traffic, especially near the turnpike and (Route) 315 (in Pittston Township). It’s horrendous there.”

Need apparent

Officials acknowledge there’s a need to widen the highway. Every day, about 70,000 vehicles travel the 33-mile stretch, which was designed in the 1960s to carry about 40,000.

The Cemetery Bridges phase of the project, near the Central Scranton Expressway, is being discussed in Harrisburg to finalize details.

According to PennDOT, the bridges will cost about $19.65 million, and the project is expected to be completed by 2009. The widening of the interstate between Davis and River streets will cost $120 million.

If other money can’t be secured, it’s likely the expansion will not progress beyond those projects, said Karen Dussinger, community relations coordinator for PennDOT District 4.

Entrance ramps at congestion areas could be proposed along with exit ramps being lengthened. Traffic signal timing can be taken into consideration in keeping traffic moving, too.

Interchanges could be revamped or created at sections that officials found to be problematic, and Dussinger said short- and long-term safety improvements could be made temporarily – and their helpfulness determined – before going ahead with the widening project.

Others have concerns

But Bonnie Gaughan, a Scranton resident who drives to the Ashley/Sugar Notch exit daily to get to work, said she thinks the three lanes would cause more accidents. A wider road, she said, would encourage more speeding and aggressive driving, and attract more trucks.

According to PennDOT, in the last four years, there have been eight deaths in Lackawanna County and seven in Luzerne County in that 33-mile stretch of I-81.

In addition, there have been 859 accidents, ranging from those with major injuries to those of unknown severity, in Lackawanna County, and 391 accidents in Luzerne County.