YATESVILLE, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission hosted a second public hearing on proposed revisions to the Wyoming Valley Interchange in Luzerne County as part of the Scranton Beltway Project.
The hearing gave residents a chance to provide feedback on the Environmental Assessment document for the project, which aims to alleviate congestion along I-81 by adding a direct connection between I-81 and the Northeast Extension on Route 476.
Assistant Chief Engineer of Design for the PTC, Kevin Scheurich, said there have been a lot of changes to the project since the last hearing in 2024.
“We got a lot of public comments, we got testimony in those two years and we were actually able to make some changes,” Scheurich said.
The most notable changes include revisions to the stormwater management design and hundreds of feet of noise wall to block and reduce noise pollution to nearby homes.
“Based on some of the criteria now, we weren’t impacting the homes, so we included those homes as benefited receptors in the newer study,” Scheurich said.
Despite the changes made by the PTC based on past feedback, residents like Cheryl Sempa Radkiewicz of South Abington Township expressed during Public Testimony that the project is a total waste of taxpayer money.
“This is not a solution to solving Route 81’s traffic problem; only more lanes on 81 will,” Sempa Radkiewicz said.
Regardless, Scheurich and the PTC say that feedback like Sempa Radkiewicz’s is helpful for finding the best route forward for all parties.
“We want to make sure that we can address and meet the needs of the turnpike and its customers but also be a good neighbor,” Scheurich said.
The PTC is still accepting feedback on the Beltway Environmental Assessment, and you have until November 20th to provide your feedback.
To provide your feedback on the Beltway Environmental Assessment, you can click here.