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PLAINS TWP. — Work is significantly ahead of schedule on the North Cross Valley Expressway on-ramp at River Street in Plains Township and, weather permitting, it could reopen in early January.
PennDOT spokesman James May said the on-ramp was being paved Wednesday, leaving only line painting and guiderail installation to finish the job.
“We also have to re-paint the lines on River Street,” May said. “And that is weather dependent. We can’t paint lines when the temperatures are below freezing. If the weather cooperates and we have mild temperatures, we could complete the project and have the on-ramp reopened in early January.”
If the weather temperatures remain below freezing, May said the re-opening could be delayed for weeks.
May said if the lines on River Street aren’t properly lined, it could cause serious traffic issues.
He said the on-ramp repairs were initially expected to take until the summer of 2019 to complete.
Meanwhile, repairs to the River Street off-ramp bridge have been scheduled to start in the summer of 2019.
PennDOT announced in May that an $11.3 million project to repair/replace much of the Exit 3 ramp onto River Street from the West Side would begin the following week. However, just days later, PennDOT announced the closure was pushed back until May 21. Wilkes-Barre General Hospital officials and emergency responders said they were worried about how the project would limit hospital access, especially given the ramp closure coinciding with an unrelated sewer project that was beginning on River Street south of the hospital.
PennDOT then decided to shift its focus to the on-ramp, which was closed about six months ago, and wait to repair the off-ramp separately.
A detour has redirected motorists south to Wilkes-Barre Boulevard at Exit 2, where temporary signals were installed, directing traffic to turn left and then get back on the Cross Valley to get to the West Side.