YATESVILLE, LUZERNE CO. (WOLF) \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
“This is not a solution to solving Route 81’s traffic problem; only more lanes on 81 will,” Sempa Radkiewicz said.<\/p>\n
Regardless, Scheurich and the PTC say that feedback like Sempa Radkiewicz’s is helpful for finding the best route forward for all parties.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
The PTC is still accepting feedback on the Beltway Environmental Assessment, and you have until November 20th to provide your feedback.<\/p>\n