The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) hosted two public hearings this week [15 November] for the Scranton Beltway Project, providing feedback opportunities on the Environmental Assessment (EA).
The hearings were held in coordination with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and are part of the public comment period, which opened 28 October and lasts through 6 December.
Resumed in 2021, the Scranton Beltway Project aims to ease congestion, improve safety and support enhanced freight movement through one of the Commonwealth’s critical tri-state corridors.
The project will link Interstate 81 with the PA Turnpike’s Northeast Extension (I-476) at two locations, one near the Wyoming Valley Interchange and a second near the Clarks Summit Interchange, forming a continuous travel route around Scranton. Existing, indirect connections between I-81 and I-476 will remain.
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Additionally, challenges facing the area include:
- Multiple I-81 corridor segments between Exit 175 and Exit 194 are operating at or near capacity during peak morning and afternoon commuting hours
- An anticipated 72% increase in truck traffic by 2040, further increasing I-81 congestion
- Approximately 400 crashes during the four-year traffic student took place near the Wyoming Valley and Clarks Summit interchanges, which can be attributed to the area’s 20 conflict points, or locations where motorists’ paths merge, cross or diverge
The EA hearings are part of the Preliminary Design Phase’s final stages, which is expected to wrap in early 2025.
Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO Mark Compton said: “The Pennsylvania Turnpike is proud to be a vital partner in addressing the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure needs and supporting national mobility.
“When completed, motorists will have another viable interstate-to-interstate option that keeps them moving more safely toward their destinations.”
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