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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; The PennDOT Public-Private Transportation Partnerships (P3) Board on Wednesday approved a proposed project to reconstruct a 4.5-mile section of I-81 near Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>The P3 Board originally approved the project in late 2018 as a bundling of 15 bridge replacements along I-80 and I-81 in Luzerne County.</p><p>The PennDOT P3 Office reassessed the needs of the corridor and developed a proposal which included eight of the original 15 bridges while also addressing the needs of the corridor as a whole.</p><p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no denying that I-81 in Luzerne County is one of the most heavily-traveled corridors in the state,&#8221; said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards. &#8220;The P3 approach will allow PennDOT greater flexibility in making these critical improvements to our transportation network.&#8221;</p><p>The project includes widening the interstate to three lanes in both directions between Exit 164 to Exit 168, realigning 2.5 miles of I-81 southbound and replacing eight bridges, as well as other related improvements.</p><p>Safety and mobility improvements include eliminating a left-hand exit on I-81 northbound (Route 309) and addressing a substandard weave distance between SR-29 and SR-309 on I-81 northbound.</p><p>The 4.5-mile segment is located within PennDOT District 4-0 &#8212; a six-county district which currently maintains a transportation network of 3,932 miles of roadways and 2,090 bridges.</p><p>Alexis Campbell, PennDOT&#8217;s press secretary, said the next steps for the project are for PennDOT to conduct industry and stakeholder outreach on the P3 delivery of this project.</p><p>&#8220;The project will undergo typical preliminary engineering and environmental clearances which will define the goals for the project,&#8221; Campbell said. &#8220;Project costs aren&#8217;t finalized, but it is estimated at $150 million to $250 million.&#8221;</p><p>There was no timeline released for when the project will start and finish.</p><p>As a member of the P3 Board and as the Democratic Chair of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Mike Carroll, D-Avoca, said he was thrilled to vote in support of the exciting project for I-81 near Wilkes-Barre.</p><p>&#8220;While much needs to be accomplished to bring this project to fruition, those of who drive I-81 know of the urgent need to improve this corridor,&#8221; Carroll said. &#8220;The reconstruction of eight bridges by itself is good news, but the reconstruction, realignment and expansion of the interstate near Blackman Street advances this project to meet our community&#8217;s urgent transportation needs. Although many months and years of design and construction lie ahead, I&#8217;m very pleased with the actions taken to move this project to the forefront.&#8221;</p><p>Sen. Lisa Baker, R-Lehman Township, said the expressed purpose of the partnership approach was to accelerate work on essential projects such as this section of I-81.</p><p>&#8220;This is a heavily traveled stretch badly in need of reconstruction to deal with motorist safety and commercial traffic,&#8221; Baker said. &#8220;Everyone who drives the interstate will readily acknowledge that added lanes and re-engineered exits will make a significant difference in terms of improving travel time and safety.&#8221;</p><p>Sen. John Yudichak, I-Plymouth Township, said he supported Act 88 of 2012 and he thanked Richards and the P3 Board for approving the safety project.</p><p>&#8220;As more national companies call northeastern Pennsylvania home, and more people travel on I-81, it is vital that we have the proper infrastructure in place to ensure that people get to their destination safely,&#8221; Yudichak said.</p><p>Major roadways in the district include I-80 and I-81, which remain relatively unchanged from their original construction in the 1960s.</p><p>These major corridors and bridges have traffic volumes ranging from 25,000 to 50,000 vehicles daily, which are projected to increase with the development of the region.</p><p>Rep. Tarah Toohil, R-Butler Township, said she was pleased PennDOT is making these highway improvements sooner rather than later.</p><p>&#8220;That helps to enhance the economic development of our entire region,&#8221; Toohil said.</p><p>Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, said, &#8220;The approval of this project gives us a rare opportunity to get ahead of the maintenance demands created by increasing traffic and aging infrastructure.&#8221;</p><p>An increase in demand by road users coupled with an increase in the age of the infrastructure has made it challenging for PennDOT to stay ahead of the needs of the traveling public. Delivering this reconstructed corridor through P3 delivery will allow PennDOT to address these issues and needs in a faster time frame than traditional delivery.</p><p>In July 2012, the Public and Private Partnerships for Transportation Act was signed into law, which authorized P3 projects in Pennsylvania. This law allows PennDOT and other state agencies, transportation authorities and commissions to partner with private companies to participate in delivering, maintaining and financing transportation-related projects.</p><p>As part of the P3 law, the seven-member Public-Private Transportation Partnership Board was appointed to examine and approve potential public-private transportation projects. If the Board determines a state operation or project would be more cost-effectively administered or delivered by a private company, the department or appropriate transportation agency can advertise a competitive Request for Proposals and enter into a contract with a company to completely or partially deliver the transportation-related service or project.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Richards </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_Leslie-Richards.cmyk_-4.jpg</photo0><caption0>Richards </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_I-81-3.jpg">
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

​​PennDOT approves I-81 project to address safety and mobility needs

PennDOT approves I-81 project to address safety and mobility needs