Keystone Today

The Wolf administration, U.S. Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) and other local officials gathered near Route 6, known as the Robert P. Casey Highway, where there will be a 15-mile, $30 million concrete pavement and bridge preservation project this year, among other projects made possible through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

Gov. Tom Wolf (D-PA) says this was a chance to highlight 32 projects up for bid in a six-county region, as well as discuss benefits of what the infrastructure law will bring to the region’s roads and bridges. This involves the District 4 region, including the counties of Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming. It makes up nearly 245 miles of paving and repairs or replacements of 88 bridges. In 2022, the infrastructure law brings in at least $49.6 million in funding for the local Metropolitan and Rural Planning Organization.

“Thanks to the infrastructure law, we are beginning to rebuild our roads, bridges and more vital infrastructure right here in Northeastern Pennsylvania,” Casey said, according to the Official Pennsylvania Government Website. “The Casey Highway project and others throughout our region will create good-paying jobs, make it safer and easier for people to get around and jump-start the most significant improvements to our infrastructure in a generation.”

This year, the Lackawanna Luzerne Transportation Study MPO receives $21.8 million, Northeastern Pennsylvania MPO receives at least $12.1 million, Northern Tier RPO receives $13.9 million and Wayne County receives $1.8 million more in funds.

“We are looking forward to beginning projects that would not have been possible this year without the additional funding,” PennDOT District 4 Executive Richard Roman said, according to the Official Pennsylvania Government Website. “The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will be integral to completing much-needed projects over the next five years.”

There are a number of notable projects that have begun and will continue this year. One of the largest is a $113.2 million project on I-84 over Lackawanna Railroad, Roaring Brook and the Route 435 Bridge Replacement. Another is roadway construction and bridge replacement on I-84 from Route 3005 to Exit 26 in Green, Palmyra and Sterling townships, worth $104 million. There is a long list of other projects involving road and bridge repairs, ranging from $1 million to nearly $40 million.

A large group of projects has started or will begin this year as well. These involve preventative maintenance, surface improvements, pavement repairs, bridge replacements and other maintenance ranging from $500,000 to $86.3 million, which is the interstate roadway reconstruction on I-84 from mile marker 40 to Exit 46 in Pike County.

Construction projects will be ongoing, and drivers are asked to pay close attention to the road, speed limits, signage and flaggers while also keeping their headlights on in work zones. 

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is bringing benefits to every corner of Pennsylvania, and we are quickly delivering on its promises,” Wolf said, according to the Official Pennsylvania Government Website. “While these improvements occur, I urge the public to drive safely in work zones so you and roadway workers can get home each day.”

Log onto 511.com for information 24 hours a day, including traffic delays, weather forecasts, speed limit information and more than 1,000 traffic cameras. Information can also be found by calling 5-1-1 or following Twitter.

All of the planned and active construction projects for PennDOT can be found at PennDOT's website.