Specter, Casey announce completion of rail study, I-81 project funding
Published: June 9, 2009
Font size: [A] [A] [A]
e-mail this
share thisPITTSTON TWP. - U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Bob Casey announced Monday nearly $12.9 million for resurfacing stretches of Interstate 81 and the completion of the environmental impact study on the Scranton/New York City rail line that will make the project eligible for federal funding.
The funds from the economic stimulus package passed this year will pay for paving work on about five miles of I-81 near Hazleton and the roughly 10 miles from Nanticoke to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport.
George Roberts, district executive with the state Department of Transportation, said the project is slated to start in August and could potentially wrap up before winter.
The senators said I-81 and the rail line could receive cash in the federal transportation funding effort scheduled to take shape this year and direct ground transportation spending for the next six years.
PennDOT is working on the preliminary engineering assessment on widening the interstate between Davis Street and the Central Scranton Expressway exits. Those five miles' worth of widening are expected to cost more than $115 million, Mr. Roberts said.
The rail line is longer and pricier.
The 88-mile route from Scranton to Port Morris, N.J., where the line would link with the existing passenger rail system, comes with a price tag of about $550 million.
The 60-mile right of way from Scranton to the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border already holds one line that hosts freight trains, but it will have to be upgraded with more ties to accommodate higher speeds - 40 mph for freight and 60 mph for passenger trains.
Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority President Larry Malski said design work on the rail line could begin once it is granted funding, and after a 30-day public comment period on the environmental study expires.
In his best-case scenario, the effort that has spanned decades could see trains on tracks in four to five years.
"This is a major hurdle that's been cleared," Mr. Malski said.
Supporters of the project say the rail line will make commuting to New York easier, make the region more of a tourist destination and strengthen the region's role as a shipping and logistics hub.
"This is really about commerce and jobs and opportunity in the future," Mr. Casey said.
Contact the writer: nsohr@citizensvoice.com
28 posted comments
1. Crime is already in Scranton sans the Commuter Rail Service.
2. No one is going to load large quantities of drugs in a bag and travel from NYC to Scranton with businessmen sitting next to them when they can take a car from I-80,I-380 to I-81.
3. You are already paying the price of people commuting from Scranton to NYC through your state and federal taxes. I-81, I-380 and I-80 take a pounding each year and require added road maintenance due to the amount of travel they receive.
4. Businesses looking into moving to the Scranton area have already noted congestion on Major Highways and the lack of mass transit to other metropolitan areas in Bo-Wash as reasons not to relocate.
5. Property Owners living in NEPA will also benefit from inflated property values when they decide to sell their homes. They can also benefit from it when refinancing mortages or taking out a home equity loan for both personal and business uses.
6. If there is an influx in population, municipal tax revenues will naturally increase because more people will be paying. We already have more municpal services in Scranton than the population can support fiscally. The influx of a transplanted population can help correct this as well as offset for the tax revenues lost due to "Deals we have done with the Devil" (KOZ, Non-Profit and Not-For-Profit Educational Institutions and Health Care Facilities, etc.)
7. If you are a citizen who believes that the politicians of NEPA are corrupt than an "influx of people demanding services" would be good because by virtue of "outsiders" trying to vie for influence it will result in more transparency and responsiveness in government.
This is a great thing for our community!