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Drivers in for the long haul for Casey Highway repairs

JESSUP, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Drivers in Lackawanna County are fed up with their bumpy commute. As a construction project is underway on the Robert P. Casey highway but those on the road say the new patchwork is a bust.

Eyewitness News viewers asked us what’s going on with this road work? So we went searching for answers.

It began in April now one lane is open here near the Jessup exit but the patchwork isn’t up to par for commuters.

“It feels like your tires going to blow,” said Katherine Parmelee, of West Scranton.

New patchwork is causing headaches for commuters in Lackawanna County.

“A lot of congestion, like people slowing down real quick,” said Randy Lefkowski, of Wyoming Borough.

Those traveling on the Robert P. Casey Highway have concerns over the 15-mile, $30,000,000 concrete pavement and bridge preservation project that began in April 2022.

Eyewitness News talked to commuters Tuesday who drive this section of the roadway frequently.

“A lot, I just started work here and I go to Carbondale a lot so it’s annoying,” explained Parmelee.

Many Eyewitness News viewers have reached out for answers comparing the patchwork to rumble strips.

Truck driver Randy Lefkowski says while he doesn’t feel that in the truck, the new patchwork causes other problems on his routes.

“When you’re driving this the cars that automatically slow down, and like you gotta hit your breaks but other than that I don’t feel rumble strips or anything like that inside the truck,” explained Lefkowski.

Driving westbound on Route 6 near exit three you can see the lane is restricted to the right. New slabs of pavement are down. But it’s not exactly a smooth ride.

District 4 PennDOT community relations coordinator, Jessica Ruddy says that’s because it’s an ongoing project and the job isn’t done.

Ruddy breaks down the project stating;

This project will address the aging concrete roadway pavement by replacing damaged and broken slabs where necessary. The final surface will be diamond ground to make the most of ride quality.”

Jessica Rudy, of PennDOT

Meaning when complete it will be paved smooth. In the meantime watch out for new traffic patterns and mind your speed.

The entire project is set to be completed in 2024. There’s no set timeline on how quickly the ride will be smoothed down.