PennDOT Takes Comments on Tolling the I81 Bridge in Susquehanna
Pennsylvania transportation officials are taking comments on a second-look at a proposal to start charging a toll for traffic going over a bridge on Interstate 81 in Susquehanna County.
PennDOT is hosting an on-demand virtual public meeting on the I-81 Susquehanna Project through December 8 at www.penndot.gov/I81Susquehanna. Transportation officials will also hold an in-person public open house on November 15 at the Blue Ridge School District High School in New Milford from 4 to 7 p.m.
The I-81 Susquehanna Project is in line for bridge tolling through the PennDOT Pathways Major Bridge Public-Private Partnership Initiative. The idea is to look for spans that are sorely in need of repair and come up with alternate ideas for paying for those repairs. One of the plans has been to set up mechanisms to bill EZPass or read license plates to toll traffic going over those bridges.
The I-81 Susquehanna Project is a nine-mile stretch of reconstruction and repair work along the Interstate from New Milford to the New York State Line and replaces one overpass, four dual bridges over creeks, railroads and roads and the main bridge over the Susquehanna River between Hallstead and Great Bend.
Online comments will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. December 8. Comments can be submitted through the meeting website, by email at i81Susquehanna@pa.gov, calling (570) 892-4004 or mailing PennDOT District 4, attention I-81 Susquehanna Project, 55 Keystone Industrial Park, Dunmore, Pa. 18512.