Northbound traffic between Tamaqua and Hometown is going at slower than a snail’s pace this morning as the reconstruction of Route 309 has begun, causing traffic to back up along Pine Street in Tamaqua. Lehigh Asphalt and Paving of Tamaqua was awarded the $3.4 million PennDOT project between Rose Street in Tamaqua to one quarter mile north of Lincoln Drive in Hometown. The contractor has the option to work days and nights and motorists should expect lane closures and delays. The project is slated for completion by October.