Shamokin Dam by-pass on hold again! (Pittsburgh, Scranton: hotel, theater, high school)

[judd2401]

PA pulled funding for completion of the Shamokin Dam bypass after all the hoopla that they finally had all the land rights they needed and were proceeding with completion. That bypass would be a boom for the region and take most of the big rigs out of Shamokin Dam and at the turn in Northumberland which backs up traffic for miles in both directions. The truck traffic has gotten MUCH worse since the drilling-for-gas boom up state. Anybody know anything else about it? When we can expect it to move forward? I know there has been concerns about commerce on the strip if the bypass does go through but I really doubt things will be hurt that much.

[Dawne]

I was hoping someone would have an answer for you. I know Joe McGranahan (sp?) is very active in this. I think he's the mayor of Shamokin Dam or has something to do with the government there. He's really been pushing for the bypass. Maybe if you contact the Borough of SD they can speak to this, and you can let us all know what you find out.

I feel bad for those people who had to move right away!! because of the bypass, and it's now been several years with no action. Many of them have kids who could have finished high school without having their lives disrupted, but no, when the state says move, you have to go right away. (eyeroll!)

[R.J. MacReady]

Seems like more local folks don't want to travel on the strip because of the horrid traffic that they make decisions to sometimes just stay at home. I hope they are realizing this when discussing the "less business" position. Traffic is horrible and would really like to see the Bypass but knew years ago it wouldn't happen.

I agree Dawne it's tragic on the people who had to move. I'm sure some made out nicely with what they pay but it does stink to be upended and moved. Plus all the money wasted on this project that will most likely never become a reality. Great folks running things...........

[Dawne]

It does look like they've started work near the end of the bypass near the Comfort Inn (with the Japanese restaurant). wonder if that's for an off ramp there or what's going on. It's between the Inn and the bypass so I don't think it would have anything to do with another hotel that is rumored to be built on the mall side of the Inn.

[LeeMar]

Originally Posted by Dawne

It does look like they've started work near the end of the bypass near the Comfort Inn (with the Japanese restaurant). wonder if that's for an off ramp there or what's going on. It's between the Inn and the bypass so I don't think it would have anything to do with another hotel that is rumored to be built on the mall side of the Inn.

New motel it is! Just early stages though, but thats whats happening there

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by R.J. MacReady

Seems like more local folks don't want to travel on the strip because of the horrid traffic that they make decisions to sometimes just stay at home. I hope they are realizing this when discussing the "less business" position. Traffic is horrible and would really like to see the Bypass but knew years ago it wouldn't happen.

I agree Dawne it's tragic on the people who had to move. I'm sure some made out nicely with what they pay but it does stink to be upended and moved. Plus all the money wasted on this project that will most likely never become a reality. Great folks running things...........

If you think traffic is bad on the "Golden Strip", you need to get out of the Valley lol! My relatives up there are always telling me how bad it is, I go to visit and I'm like what are you talking about bad traffic. They just never get out of the area, they are clueless what real bad traffic is like, try Miami, Boston, LA, Atlanta and etc.

That bypass completion has been in talks for years, they never will do anything, especially when there is major budget deficits and no money to go around.

The website has no updates since January 2011, total joke.

Welcome to the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project Website

Maybe they need to use a shale gas tax to pay for it. PA is so behind the times, reason why I left the state. Nothing changes, time moves in slow motion there compared to other parts of the country.

[Dawne]

Blauskies, I understand what you're saying about traffic in the cities, but the "Golden Strip" is in an area of towns with populations of 6,000 or fewer yet there are times when we are subjected to traffic that's similar to cities of a million or more people. Friday evenings and holidays are especially bad. Yes, traffic is worse elsewhere in big cities, but that's like comparing apples to oranges.

Sometimes time moving in slow motion is a good thing. For those of us who choose to live and work here, it's why we chose to live and work here. Unfortunately, sometimes people are "stuck" here and can't get away for various reasons, and for them I can understand how frustrating it is that things move slowly.

Using a shale gas tax for the bypass is a great idea; I doubt we'll ever see it in this area though. Sadly, most of our state politicians seem to favor three of the four corners of the state (W-B/Scranton, Philly and Pitt) and that's where most of the money seems to go. They forget about us here in the rural "heartland" of PA.

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by Dawne

Blauskies, I understand what you're saying about traffic in the cities, but the "Golden Strip" is in an area of towns with populations of 6,000 or fewer yet there are times when we are subjected to traffic that's similar to cities of a million or more people. Friday evenings and holidays are especially bad. Yes, traffic is worse elsewhere in big cities, but that's like comparing apples to oranges.

Sometimes time moving in slow motion is a good thing. For those of us who choose to live and work here, it's why we chose to live and work here. Unfortunately, sometimes people are "stuck" here and can't get away for various reasons, and for them I can understand how frustrating it is that things move slowly.

Using a shale gas tax for the bypass is a great idea; I doubt we'll ever see it in this area though. Sadly, most of our state politicians seem to favor three of the four corners of the state (W-B/Scranton, Philly and Pitt) and that's where most of the money seems to go. They forget about us here in the rural "heartland" of PA.

I never ever experienced traffic there like the metro areas I have lived and been to over the years. Not even close, maybe you should post some pictures or videos of this traffic? The truck traffic is and was the problem for years and still is. I use to take the Old Trail to avoid all the lights. At one time you could take the Old Trail from the traffic circle and the old Bainbridge Street bridge from Sunbury all the way to where Sheetz is now. When they put the new Bridge in to Sunbury in 1986, that all changed. I still use to take the Old Trail near Aldi's to Sheetz to go to the mall, or take the country roads for the fun of it.

Let's just put it this way, there are things there that never change for the better, the infrastructure needs major improvements. The last big undertaking was in 1986 and that's it, Route 11 get's flooded often near the lookout and the road is closed, that's been a problem for years, they did some mild improvements but it still floods. 11 & 147 underpass, floods all the time too, that intersection has not changed in years.

Too much bureaucratic red tape and money spent on pork barrel projects. Also there is a lot of people not in favor of the bypass because they think it will kill the retail and etc on the strip, not that the mall is doing that well anyways, last time I was there it was a ghost town with a lot of stores I did not recognize.

I remember going to SV Mall, Fox Theaters was it, only had 4 theaters, use to go to The Strand in Sunbury prior, spend some change at Space Port and go to Luca's Pizza for a hot slice. Maybe after head down to the Orange Bowl or Tiffany's Bakery for a Brownie, stop in the Listening Booth and check out the new Records, my one friend use to go over to Boscov's they had a nice hobby section with trains, rockets and plastic models. Remember going to see The Thing at the Fox Theatres in the Mall July 4th weekend 1982, that was 30 years ago right about now how time flies. Good old days! What's odd is 30 years later and the road still looks virtually the same past the mall.

[R.J. MacReady]

Originally Posted by blauskies

If you think traffic is bad on the "Golden Strip", you need to get out of the Valley lol! My relatives up there are always telling me how bad it is, I go to visit and I'm like what are you talking about bad traffic. They just never get out of the area, they are clueless what real bad traffic is like, try Miami, Boston, LA, Atlanta and etc.

That bypass completion has been in talks for years, they never will do anything, especially when there is major budget deficits and no money to go around.

The website has no updates since January 2011, total joke.

Welcome to the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project Website

Maybe they need to use a shale gas tax to pay for it. PA is so behind the times, reason why I left the state. Nothing changes, time moves in slow motion there compared to other parts of the country.

I've lived in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Buffalo and know what "real" traffic is like. Have drove through NYC and go to Philly for games all the time. Although this area is "growing" it is still a somewhat rural area. It is way too small to have these congestion issues which could be alleviated by the bypass. Driving the strip on a Friday or Saturday night is no picnic.

The real problem here is that they need to stop throwing money away with the senseless wars on everything and focus more on increasing funding for roads, schools, and programs sorely lacking for money.

[blauskies]

Originally Posted by R.J. MacReady

I've lived in Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, and Buffalo and know what "real" traffic is like. Have drove through NYC and go to Philly for games all the time. Although this area is "growing" it is still a somewhat rural area. It is way too small to have these congestion issues which could be alleviated by the bypass. Driving the strip on a Friday or Saturday night is no picnic.

The real problem here is that they need to stop throwing money away with the senseless wars on everything and focus more on increasing funding for roads, schools, and programs sorely lacking for money.

From my perspective the area is like Mayberry, there has always been somewhat heavy traffic, lot's of trucks on 11/15 even 20 years ago or more. See though now coming from living in several metro areas since leaving there, currently in Miami, I'm desensitized to it and see it as such. My relatives up there are always complaining about it, when they come down here to visit I take them out on I-95 and they are grabbing onto the seats and are white as a ghost lol when they see real bad traffic. They say "how do you deal with this everyday" lol, it's nothing.

I really like to see some youtube videos or pictures of the traffic there, I can't get my relatives to do it they wont' bother. I plan to be up in Sunbury in a month, before I move to California. Maybe I'll use my Hero HD to record the bad traffic lol.









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