I-81 Construction Beginning on Thursday, October 8th

Posted on Wednesday October 7, 2015

I-81 Single Lane Closure:  There will be a single lane closure on I-81 North near mile marker 173 in order to set four beams on the bridge that goes over Westminster Road.  Each beam is 8 feet high, 172 feet long and 240,000 lbs each.  This lane closure will take place from Thursday, October 8 at 8 p.m. to Friday, October 9 at 6 a.m.

I-81 Split:  Beginning next week crews will begin to set up a split pattern on I-81 North.  As motorists head north on I-81, they will need to make a lane decision approximately one mile before Exit 175 (Pittston).  Motorists in the right lane will be able to exit at 175.  Motorists in the left lane will not be able to access the exit.  A contractor will be working in the area between the two lanes. The split pattern will be in place until June 2016.  The entire project is scheduled to be complete by summer of 2017.

SR 315 Closure: SR 315 is tentatively scheduled to be closed from Friday, October 16 at 8 p.m. to Monday, October 19 at 6 a.m. in order to demolish and remove the old bridge on I-81 South.  The SR 315 closure will take place after the lane split on the interstate at mile marker 175 (where it crosses SR 315), but this is now weather-dependent and contingent upon the availability of the contractor for the revised schedule.  This closure will not impact traffic on Interstate 81.  The closure will take place between Oak Street and 84 Lumber.  A posted detour will be in place.

PennDOT recently completed a contract in the Dickson City area in which six bridges were replaced.  The work at mile marker 173 is a second contract that is replacing 8 bridges and is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2016. The work at Exit 175 is a third contract that is replacing four bridges, and is scheduled to be complete in the summer of 2017.  All 18 bridges are being replaced with bridges that are wide enough to accommodate three lanes of traffic if needed.  All this bridge work is separate from the work being done at the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Airport.