Specter, Casey announce completion of rail study, I-81 project funding
Published: June 9, 2009
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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. A move that would be universally benificial to all,
even citizens that don't live in Scranton or commute because of direct and indirect benifits.
2. This is an "Interstate" project. The Federal goverment is responsible for projects that occur between two states, even if that isn't always the practice. Case in point: When the Interstate Highway system was developed, the federal goverment built the roads, the states were in charge of maintenance, but the states still received some federal funding each year to perform work. I would expect a similar agreement to be in place for this rail project also.
The transportation hub in this region in both rail and Interstates adds to it being a major player for job growth in lieu of the lower wage demand due to the lower cost of living in the area.