MIDDLETOWN, PA (November 15, 2024) — This week, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission (PA Turnpike) hosted two public hearings 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 October 28 and lasts through December 6.
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.
“The Pennsylvania Turnpike is proud to be a vital partner in addressing the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure needs and supporting national mobility,” said Pennsylvania Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “When completed, motorists will have another viable interstate-to-interstate option that keeps them moving more safely toward their destinations.”
The Scranton Beltway Environmental Assessment (EA) was developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, a federal law that directs Federal agencies when planning projects to conduct environmental reviews to consider the potential impacts on the environment by their proposed actions. Comments and responses from both hearings will be provided to the Federal Highway Administration for consideration.
“Public engagement is such a critical part of what we do at the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and we appreciate all of the conversations we’ve had since resuming this project in 2021, including those who came out today to offer public and private testimony,” said Nick Noss, PA Turnpike senior engineer project manager.
The Scranton Beltway’s direct connection is predicted to shift regional traffic away from interchanges, reduce crash rates between interchanges and relieve congestion on adjacent local roads
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 PA Turnpike and PennDOT previously engaged the public through two Open House Plans Display in Fall of 2023. The EA hearings are part of the Preliminary Design Phase’s final stages, which is expected to wrap in early 2025. The project will then move into Final Design when a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) is issued by FHWA. This phase is anticipated to last four years additional years, with construction planned for 2030.
For the latest project information, visit the Scranton Beltway on paturnpike.com.
This project is critical to delivering on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (PA Turnpike)’s mission of operating a safe, reliable, customer-valued toll road system that supports national mobility and commerce. In 2023, the PA Turnpike supported more than $690 million in construction bids to modernize, maintain or improve customer experience. Key projects include resurfacing 46+ miles of roadway, a record-high 27 miles of total reconstruction, and replacing key bridges at Beaver River and Hawk Falls. Resources and information on planned construction projects can be found at Traveling on the PA Turnpike | PA Turnpike.
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Media Contacts: Marissa Orbanek, Press Secretary; Crispin Havener, Assistant Press Secretary