PennDot and Interstate 81

[jbird82]

Thanks for the responses everyone...glad to see I'm not the only one irritated by this...well not really irritated but more curious as to PENNDOTs reasoning for its methodology. I'll admit, liability concerns never crossed my mind.

[kinpa]

Rt 84 is still that way. Its awful. It starts before the lake wallenpaupack exit and goes all the way to blooming grove. All I ever see is guys standing around and one work vehicle going. I dont know how they get away with all the talking and coffee drinking.

[John In Scranton]

Originally Posted by jbird82

Can anyone tell me why Penndot puts cones for 10 miles blocking a lane while they are only working on a small quarter mile (if that) section? Anyone in the construction industry with insight to this? Because I've never seen anything like it in any state outside of PA.

Not only are they blocking 10 miles of Interstate 81 South, but I'm pretty sure it's been like that for atleast 5 months. This would never fly in Virginia.

If you think that's bad!?!?! You should see them when they have a smaller project. Like patching a pothole!! 10 miles of cones, 5 Penndot trucks, 15 guys, (only one working) and a State Trooper, reading the news paper!! All for one pothole!!

Perhaps, that's why I don't see any of them sign's that say... "Your State Tax Dollars Hard At Work" like I see in NY or NJ. They'd really make fools of themselves if they put up a few of them!!

[fisheye]

John,
I used to own a shop only a quarter mile from the State highway shed in Stroudsburg. This was before (back in the 1970’s) they bought the ten+ miles of safety cones. There was one large pothole in the state road in front of my shop. They (PennDOT) ran over the hole everyday going and coming from/to work for months. I kept expecting them to repair it - it would rip your tire off if you hit it square. I finally called and asked them when they would repair it - they did come quick (all eleven of them and four vehicles). It took them all day. The hole was less than four feet in diameter.
About four years ago; Ohio started to build a new bridge for Route 80 eastbound over the Lake Meander Reservoir. The new eastbound bridge was half a mile long, three lanes wide, and had twenty one piers. PA started to rebuild the westbound bridge, just west of Blakeslee, on Route 80 at the same time. Our project I don’t think was over 150 feet long (no piers) and only a two lane bridge. Both Ohio’s and PA projects took about the same length of time - about one year. Ohio kept two lanes (in the one direction) of traffic flowing most of the construction time - we kept only one lane moving.
You have to wonder why we allow this incompetence? There are better ways to work. Even the NHTSA has proposed leasing out our highways to contractors so that they have a vested interest in getting the jobs done quick.