Terrible Road conditions on Route 78 (Scranton, Harrisburg: construction, transportation, eat)

[Ellwood]

Drove on Route 78 returning from the south and could not believe the poor condition of Route 78 around Harrisburg into NJ. I know it wasn't a bad winter and realize it gets a lot of truck traffic, but the potholes and crevices on the white lines were horrendous. Usually PA roads are pretty good. What's going on?

[ki0eh]

If you don't like I-78 now, should have seen it ten years ago. (Also this doesn't belong in Harrisburg area forum, I-78 does not enter the Harrisburg three-county metro area, no closer than northern Lebanon county where it hits I-81.)

[1timbo1]

This should technically be in the Lehigh Valley forum. There is a multi-million dollar project that has been going on (the Rt. 61 and Hamburg Interchanges), and continues to go on (Lenhartsville, Krumsville) upgrading interchanges, increasing bridge overpass clearances, and I believe adding an additional lane for trucks climbing the hill in the vicinity of Krumsville and Fogelsville. They may be waiting to do a major resurfacing overhaul until this construction is complete, so bear with it, this stuff is not cheap and is very time consuming. Also, because it is unseasonably warm many of the potholes have shown their ugly faces already, but PennDOT isn't allowed to start patching and paving until April due to uncertainty in temperatures.

The westbound lanes were resurfaced around Strausstown/Rt. 183 back in 2007 and it's pretty smooth heading west. IMHO, if you were to veer off onto I-81 north towards Scranton, that stretch of road is in much rougher shape. Also, the state has a major I-95 reconstruction project going on in Philly which is eating up a ton of the state's transportation dollars.