PennDOT announces largest NEPA construction season

DUNMORE — The state State Department of Transportation’s construction season in Northeast Pennsylvania involving 67 new projects totaling $655 million will be the agency’s largest annual road-work program in the region encompassing Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties, officials announced Tuesday.

“This year, we are excited to announce our district is bidding and constructing the largest dollar-value program in District 4’s history,” PennDOT Engineering District 4 Executive Jonathan A. Eboli said during a media event at the District 4 office in Dunmore.

Work and maintenance to roads and bridges will involve:

• 80 miles of road improvements.

• 200 bridges addressed.

• 440 miles of seal-coating.

• 1,300 lane miles of sealing cracks.

• 1,300 lane miles of road-shoulder cutting.

That’s on top of 81 projects previously bid in the district’s six-county region that will continue progressing in 2026, Eboli said.

“Every bridge, every road and every projects matters to us — and that commitment will be on full display this construction season in Northeast Pennsylvania,” Eboli said.

Notable projects expected to begin this year by county include:Lackawanna County

• Surface improvement on Gordon Avenue, Carbondale, $710,000.

• Pavement replacement and bridge and road preservation on Interstate 81 northbound and southbound and Interstate 84 eastbound and westbound, Scranton and Dunmore, $124 million.

• Bridge preservation on Bridge Street (Route 3017) over the Lackawanna River, Old Forge, $1.3 million.

• Culvert replacement on Carbondale Road (Route 632) over Ackerly Creek, Waverly Twp., $595,000.

• Bridge preservation on Route 435 over Van Brunt Creek, Moscow, $512,000.

• Bridge replacement on Falls Road (Route 4036) over Falls Creek, Newton Twp.

• Bridge replacement on Milwaukee Road (Route 3006) over Gardner Creek, Newton Twp.

• Bridge rehabilitation on Cedar Avenue (Route 3023) over Roaring Brook, Scranton.

• Bridge replacement on Goers Hill over White Oak Run, Archbald.

• Bridge rehabilitation on West Lackawanna Avenue (Route 347) over the Lackawanna River, Olyphant.

• Bridge replacement on Scranton Pocono Highway (Route 307) over the Williams Bridge Reservoir, Roaring Brook Twp.

• Bridge preservation on the Scranton Expressway (Route 11) over Keyser Avenue, North Main Avenue, Court Street and Theodore Street, Scranton.

• Tigue Street park and ride construction, Dunmore.

Luzerne County

• Bridge replacement on Interstate 81 over Foothills Drive in Butler Twp., $9.6 million.

• Bridge preservation on Route 315 over the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad in Jenkins Twp., $3 million.

• Bridge preservation project on Main Street (Route 1013) over Toby’s Creek in Luzerne, $1.1 million.

• Culvert preservation project along Route 309 over Township Road in Hanover Twp., $500,000.

• Bridge preservation on Route 239 over Big Wapwallopen Creek in Conyngham Twp., $1.2 million.

• CenterPoint Southern Commerce & Trade Park improvements in Jenkins Twp., $2.1 million.

• Interstate 80 over Interstate 81 eastbound and westbound bridge replacement in Butler Twp., $18.5 million.

Pike County

• High friction surface treatment installation on Promise Land Road (Route 390) in Palmyra Twp., $660,000.

• Bridge replacement on GAR Highway (Route 6) over Wallenpaupack Creek and Pennsylvania Power and Light flume in Palmyra Twp., $11.6 million.

Susquehanna County

• Bridge replacement on Route 492 over Little Butler Creek in Jackson Twp., $787,500.

• Reconstruction of Interstate 81 Exit 219 (Gibson), Susquehanna County.

• Bridge repair on Old Newburg Turnpike (Route 374) over the outlet of Lowe Lake, Herrick Twp.

• Bridge replacement on Turnpike Street (Route 374) over the east branch of Tunkhannock Creek, Clifford Twp., Susquehanna County, $1.1 million.

• Streetscaping on Main Street (Route 171), Forest City.

• Resurfacing on Route 247 and Elkdale Road (Route 2033), Clifford Twp.

• Bridge replacement on Main Street (Route 2023) over the outlet of Lewis Lake, Union Dale.

Wayne County

• Bridge replacement on Purdytown Turnpike (Route 590) over the inlet to Lake Moc-a-Tec in Paupack Twp., $1.5 million.

• Bridge replacement on Butternut Flats Road (Route 1007) over Boyd’s Creek in Damascus Twp., $790,000.

• Slope repair along Beach Lake Road (Route 652), Damascus Twp.

Wyoming County

• Bridge replacement on Fields Brooke Road (Route 1015) over Field Brook Creek, Nicholson Twp., $1.5 million.

• Pedestrian and trail connections, Keystone College, La Plume Twp.

• Joint trail construction, Clinton Twp. and Factoryville.

• Resurfacing of Riverside Drive (Route 2033), College Avenue (Route 2016), Civic Club Highway (Route 1017), and Civic Club Way (Route 1035), Clinton Twp.

• Resurfacing on Route 6 and Route 29, Tunkhannock Twp.

• Bridge replacement on Lake Road (Route 2031) over the outlet of Lake Winola, Overfield Twp.

Work-zone safety

With some of the 2026 projects underway and more to come, there will be more workers on roads and highways. Eboli stressed safety is a top concern and state police will enforce work-zone traffic laws.

“I want to stress this — the safety of all crews and the traveling public is our top priority as we make improvements to our networks across the six counties in the northeast,” Eboli said. “We urge you (motorists) to be alert for changing conditions, avoid distractions and drive responsibly in work zones so everyone can go home. We ask you to travel through each work zone as if your family member was working there.”

The grounds of the District 4 headquarters has a keystone-shaped memorial on display carved with the words, “Work Zone Safety Saves Lives,” and “Dedicated To District 4-0 Fallen Workers,” and contains the names of 11 workers who lost their lives in the district from 1975 through 1981. Those include:

• Joseph Caviston Sr., Lackawanna County, April 18, 1975.

• Donald L. Martin, Pike County, June 23, 1977.

• Mark Harer, Wayne County, Oct. 17, 1977.

• Elmer Swetland, Susquehanna County, Jan. 8, 1979.

• Patrick F. DiGiovine, Lackawanna County, Jan. 31, 1980.

• Duane C. Hall, Susquehanna County, April 5, 1980.

• Ralph M. Cornell, Luzerne County, Dec. 20, 1987.

• Vincent Matylewicz, Lackawanna County, Sept. 29, 1997.

• Jeff L. Teske, District 4, Oct. 20, 1997.

• Richard Dawson, Luzerne County, Dec. 21, 1999.

• Richard Bradley, Luzerne County, May 14, 2001.