×

Thruway project hits first hurdle; it must be scaled

The Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project has – pardon the pun – hit a roadblock.

Actually, the roadblock is more like a milkshake-textured ooze from two coal by-products that are in the path of the southern portion of the project, which is designed to bypass the perpetually congested Shamokin Dam strip of Route 15.

When completed in 2024, the thruway is designed to connect Route 147 south of Montandon to Route 15 south of Winfield with a 13-mile, four-lane, limited access highway.

The coal byproducts pose significant environmental and engineering risks that will necessitate shifting the ultimate path of the thruway. Doing so requires public interviews and input and a host of new approvals.

This is hardly the first hurdle to the thruway project and, we are certain, far from the last one.

But the big picture must be kept in view. This thruway needs to be completed for three reasons. It will improve highway safety, bring travel for thousands of motorists going to and from Harrisburg and points into the modern age, and improve the region’s commerce profile for the future. We have faith that engineers and environmental personnel with PennDOT will work with the public and find an altered pathway for the thruway that will still meet this goals.

The thruway is about 20 years late, but the funding – the most difficult hurdle – is in place. At this point, we would hope everyone involved in its construction is more in the mood to solve problems than turn back at the first sign of complication. That is certainly our hope and expectation and we are guessing it is shared by thousands of motorists and countless business leaders who are depending on a Susquehanna Thruway seven years from now.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today