PennDOT’s plans to improve roads in Pike County

By Frances Ruth Harris
MILFORD — Ken Thiele, PennDOT’s Pike County Manager, said hundreds of millions of dollars will be spent on local roads.
The local maintenance budget was affected by an increase of one-half million dollars in winter maintenance over last year’s costs.
“That increase directly affects the amount work that can be done in the good weather,” Thiele said.
Even so, he said, the resources are there.
“It’s a lot of money on a lot of projects,” he said.
On Interstate Route 84 between Milford and the New York State line, the current construction work should be finished by the end of 2018, he said.
Following that stage of Route 84 construction is a bid scheduled for August. Here are some more highlights:
Construction will include 7.7 miles of roadway beginning 3.1 miles east of the Route 402 interchange extending 5.8 miles west of the Route 6 interchange, including four bridges for a total cost of around $350 million dollars.
Surfacing work will be done on Route 507 along the east side of Lake Wallenpaupack, from the intersection of Route 6 in a southerly direction for about seven miles.
Paving will also take place on Route 590 from the intersection of Rt. 434 in Greeley through the village of Lackawaxen and finishing at Rowland for almost nine miles.
Route 402 will see construction resumed just north of I-84 for a southerly distance of approximately 18 miles to the county line.
Some road upgrading is scheduled for Old Milford Road, the southern end of the Pike County.
Bridge work will be done on Route 507 over Wallenpaupack Creek in Greene Township, Rt. 739 over Shohola Creek, Blooming Grove Township and State Route 1007 over Twin Lakes Creek, Shohola Township.
Railroad safety projects involving lights and gates are scheduled at two crossings in Lackawaxen on S.R. 1014 and one in Westfall Township on S.R. 1007.
Blooming Grove Road will see 50 culvert pipes replaced.
Lackawaxen Township will see patching done on the Towpath. In Greene Township patching work done on Brink Hill Road, Ledgedale Road.
Dingman Township improvements will focus on Sawkill Road.
Federal aid is being used to fund Route 590 work and more than half of the Route 402 work.
State Transportation Funding Bill Act 89 Funds are being used to finance the work on Route 507.
James May, District Press Officer with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation District, said distracted driving, boat safety, and work zone safety were big summer focuses for PennDOT.