Interstate 81 between Scranton and Wilkes Barre desperatly needs to be 3 lanes (on each side) (cost, build)

[quiet life]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

I wish you could take the new lanes they are planning on adding to I-80 in Monroe County. The highway bisects Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg and it's going to be a nightmare for local traffic for years as they add those lanes.

When is that happening? Also, when are they expanding lanes for that Smithfield Gateway project? Those are 2 nightmares on the horizon.

[jtab4994]

Originally Posted by quiet life

When is that happening? Also, when are they expanding lanes for that Smithfield Gateway project? Those are 2 nightmares on the horizon.

Not sure when, but it's going to happen someday. I think the pandemic delayed it, and PennDOT's website does not have a start date for the project.

https://www.i80project.com/project-overview/

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by jtab4994

Not sure when, but it's going to happen someday. I think the pandemic delayed it, and PennDOT's website does not have a start date for the project.

https://www.i80project.com/project-overview/

Ideally, I-80 needs to be widened to three lanes from I-380 to the old Delaware River Viaduct railroad bridge in New Jersey where it starts to be three lanes.

I realize there are some engineering challenges throughout the Water Gap area, especially with a tight right-of-way and a river on one side and a mountain on another. Either you "shave" the mountain back or maybe cantilever a wider (6-lane) interstate partially over the river?

Of course, with enough money anything is possible!

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Is Wilkes Barre/Scranton really get that much more car traffic and people moving in?

I have not been there in a long time. I need to go back and check it out.

[Honda718]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

Is Wilkes Barre/Scranton really get that much more car traffic and people moving in?

I have not been there in a long time. I need to go back and check it out.

Truck traffic has been sharply increasing in the region due to all the warehouses that have been opening up recently.

[NYtoNJtoPA]

Is 476 any better? I think not. I travel up to the area for work quite often and get off 476 to get onto 81 as soon as I can. People I work with stay on until it ends in Clarks Summit if we go that far. I'll make the switch in Pittston where the Pilot is.

476 is worse up in that area, the way it winds and twists with minimal shoulders and the tight "Jersey Wall" median and has no shortage of truck traffic. At least 81 has a substantial divider. 80 is just as bad too going across the state with boadloads of semis blocking both lanes boxing you in.

Things would be much easier if every interstate in the country required a minimum of 8 lanes - 4 each way - like they are in California. So yes I agree 81 needs more lanes, as does 80 and the Turnpike too.

[NYtoNJtoPA]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

Is Wilkes Barre/Scranton really get that much more car traffic and people moving in?

I have not been there in a long time. I need to go back and check it out.

Who moves TO the area from elsewhere? Never thought the area was up and coming, it's quite the contrary. Probably the last place in the state of PA I would choose to live.

My boss and I were traveling through the back end of Wilkes-Barre yesterday from Hanover Twp on Sans Souci Pkwy, and he remarked that the section we were driving through looked "disheveled". I said I thought that whole region of the state looked "disheveled". Its best days are behind it, those depressed old mining towns.

[Honda718]

Originally Posted by NYtoNJtoPA

Is 476 any better? I think not. I travel up to the area for work quite often and get off 476 to get onto 81 as soon as I can. People I work with stay on until it ends in Clarks Summit if we go that far. I'll make the switch in Pittston where the Pilot is.

476 is worse up in that area, the way it winds and twists with minimal shoulders and the tight "Jersey Wall" median and has no shortage of truck traffic. At least 81 has a substantial divider. 80 is just as bad too going across the state with boadloads of semis blocking both lanes boxing you in.

Things would be much easier if every interstate in the country required a minimum of 8 lanes - 4 each way - like they are in California. So yes I agree 81 needs more lanes, as does 80 and the Turnpike too.

Agreed and I often do the same thing, or sometime I even get off the exit before, which is Bear Creek Blvd. I really don't like I476 up here. It's scary to even go 70 mph sometimes on it, which is the speed limit for most of it.

Near Allentown it's not bad.

[NYtoNJtoPA]

Originally Posted by Honda718

Agreed and I often do the same thing, or sometime I even get off the exit before, which is Bear Creek Blvd. I really don't like I476 up here. It's scary to even go 70 mph sometimes on it, which is the speed limit for most of it.

Near Allentown it's not bad.

It's improved somewhat between the mainline Turnpike and Quakertown where they widened it to three lanes each way, but they need to continue it further north as well. Allentown area is full of traffic and it's a fast growing region. I agree it's not terrible anywhere below the Lehigh Tunnel until it becomes the Blue Route where Swarthmore didn't want a third lane down in Delaware County.

[cjseliga]

Originally Posted by NYtoNJtoPA

It's improved somewhat between the mainline Turnpike and Quakertown where they widened it to three lanes each way, but they need to continue it further north as well. Allentown area is full of traffic and it's a fast growing region. I agree it's not terrible anywhere below the Lehigh Tunnel until it becomes the Blue Route where Swarthmore didn't want a third lane down in Delaware County.

The plan is to rebuild/widen the Northeast Extension all the way to Mile Marker 57, with is where US-22 goes under the turnpike.

Here's the tentative cost and schedule timeline:

Miles 44-48, $104 million, Mainline construction 2028-2030
Miles 48-53, $288 million, Mainline construction 2025-2028
Miles 53-57, $104 million, Mainline construction 2028-2031