LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — From now until the new year, AAA estimates more than 120 million people across the country are going to be traveling for the holidays, 114 million traveling by road.
If you’re traveling by road in Lackawanna County, there’s good news.
PennDOT announced earlier this week that the twin bridges on Interstate 84 are now fully open. Some folks living nearby are happy because, for the last five years, they’ve been dealing with construction and smaller lanes.
“You deal with it, you know it’s improving, everything is improving, and I’m glad it’s done, because it’s another thing that’s good for us, right?” said Michele Crisi from Moscow.
PennDOT also announced that after a year of construction, the Green Ridge Street bridge in Scranton is open too, but the reception from folks nearby isn’t quite the same.
“It was causing issues for the business when it was closed, and we had the same problem when it opened up, I mean, not really the same problem but we have customers who just came in today and there were a couple of them that told me about the congestion that’s happening over there,” said Kevin Patel, Pioneer Beer Distributor owner.
There’s still congestion because, although the bridge is open, there’s still work to be done, such as removing the temporary bridge, restoring curbs, sidewalks, drainage systems, and more. PennDOT estimates the Green Ridge Street bridge should be fully completed in the fall of 2026.
“We were hoping that it would get better, so we’re still hoping that that will definitely help the business once it’s up and running smoothly,” said Patel.
By this time next year, travelers will have an easier time with both the Green Ridge Street bridge and the Twin Bridges fully complete.