Interstate 81 between Scranton and Wilkes Barre desperatly needs to be 3 lanes (on each side) (Allentown: car registration, tax)

[Honda718]

Seriously, the amount of car accidents and high volume of truck traffic makes this highway a nightmare to drive on. It's pretty much the only highway in NEPA I absolutely despise.

[Gerania]

I used to lake Rt. 11 because I hated 81.

[Honda718]

Originally Posted by Gerania

I used to lake Rt. 11 because I hated 81.

I often do that too, but I work in Wilkes Barre so I'm pretty much almost forced to use this dreadful highway every day.

[Gerania]

If you lived in just the right location, watching trucks slide off of 81 when it's freezing up was an event. I haven't lived there in a long time, but watched it from my in-laws second floor. When we lived in the 300 block of South Street in Wilkes-Barre, we had the same winter sport. Who could manage to make it up or down the hill without damaging multiple vehicles parked at the curb?

[MikMal]

I agree, only I'd extend the three lanes even further due to all the large distribution centers in the Hanover and Pittston Township area. I'd extend all the way to I-380 to the north and I-80 to the south.

[Honda718]

Originally Posted by MikMal

I agree, only I'd extend the three lanes even further due to all the large distribution centers in the Hanover and Pittston Township area. I'd extend all the way to I-380 to the north and I-80 to the south.

I would extend it to Clarks Summit/ I-476. That squeeze just before Dickson City is awful.

[Honda718]

I drove down I-78 in Allentown today and kept saying to myself, man 81 would be so much better if it was like that.

[MikMal]

According to AAA, Pa has the highest gas prices on the east coast. Having the highest state tax on gasoline plays a large part of that. Maybe in a few decades some of that $$ will funnel down to widen and improve our area of I-81.

[Cuzzant]

Originally Posted by Honda718

I drove down I-78 in Allentown today and kept saying to myself, man 81 would be so much better if it was like that.

I find 78West from Allentown way, way, way more congested when busy (truck traffic is crazy) than 81 from 3:30 til 6:00 pm. I-78 traffic from Allentown to Harrisburg is a mess.

To the OP and others - I, too, wish that would happen. But, way too many bridges need to replaced from 2 to 3 lanes, too many places where either mountains or deep valleys that would make the change fiscally irresponsible.

Before you burn me at the stake, I agree that our gas tax, car registration, etc. are over the top. And that the monies from them should be spent on highway repair, instead of finding its way to other state projects

[cjseliga]

They (PennDot) widen almost all of the bridges along that stretch of I-81 to 3 lanes a few years ago, except for a handful, in anticipation of widening that section of road to 3 lanes in each direction in the future.

Widening bridges is usually the most expensive and time consuming part of widening interstates, but in the end it comes down to money and politics, and the local state representatives most likely don't have the pull as others around the state do, to get those PennDot budget dollars spent in NEPA.