About 20 people spoke at a hearing Wednesday night regarding the Interstate 80 reconstruction project. Most were not in favor of it.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection held the public hearing because the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has submitted a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination Systems application to allow stormwater from the construction site to flow into the waterways. The project will be in areas that cross over Pocono Creek, its tributaries and wetlands declared by DEP to have exceptional value water quality. The purpose of the hearing at the Monroe County Public Safety Center in Stroudsburg was to take testimony regarding this permit.

Project details

According to a project briefing from DEP, the reconstruction project involves a 3.5 mile section of the interstate from Exit 303 to Exit 307, and includes reconstruction, widening and interchange reconfiguration, and will extend to just past the bridge of Brodhead Creek. Two lanes of traffic in both directions will remain open during construction.

All structures that support the roadway will be evaluated and rehabilitated versus replaced. PennDOT plans to make sure there is 16 feet, 6 inches of vertical clearance under the roadway in the areas where it is supported.

The project is expected to cost $935 million, and is broken into three contracts. The first contract is for Exit 303 from around the Hamilton Township line with Stroud Township to just east of Exit 303. The cost would be about $217 million.

The second contract involved Exits 304 and 305 from just east of Exit 303 to just west of Dresher Avenue. The estimated cost is $437 million. The third contract involves exits 306 and 307 from just west of Dresher Avenue to just east of Exit 307. The cost is anticipated to be $281 million.

The project briefing said the purpose of the reconstruction is “to provide a safe and efficient transportation system for both local and regional connections.” It stated that crash rates in this area are above the statewide average with a higher percentage of rear-end impacts, sideswipes and crashes involving hitting a fixed object. Geometric deficiencies of the road include the current design of the acceleration and deceleration lanes, insufficient weave lengths between entrance and exit ramps, and insufficient shoulder widths.

Dissenting opinions

People gave a variety of arguments against the project. They include air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution, increased water runoff, not wanting a sound barrier wall in the backyard, archaeological reasons, preferring more public transportation over increasing the size of the highway, and more warehouse development.

State Rep. Tarah Probst, D-189, began by addressing safety and traffic congestion.

“Out of 67 counties we’re 45th in safety, unlike the lies I get told that we have the most crashes than anywhere else. It’s simply not true,” Probst said. “Congestion starts at Bartonsville where that whole interchange you put in is ‘take your life in your own hands’ interchange when you have to get off the Bartonsville exit.”

Probst also criticized that the project is broken into three contracts. She said if it was one contract, then an environmental impact study would have had to be done on the entire stretch of the project. Instead, the study only addressed Stroud Township.

“To go ahead and only look at Stroud Township and not look at Stroudsburg borough is a dereliction of duty to the DEP and PennDOT,” she said.

She also criticized the planners for not considering the stormwater detention basins as wetlands.

“A wetland is soil, vegetation, habitation. They can be man-made,” Probst said. “The borough paid for an environmental study. It’s a spring fed wetland and it’s massive, and it connects right into Stroud Township.”

She said if the environmental impact study was done, then they wouldn’t be able to do the project.

“You’re not doing a good project. We want a good project. We want longer on and off ramps; we want taller bridges. We need 12-foot shoulders, but we could also use the widening on 611 so that local traffic could go through on 191. And $935 million could certainly do that,” Probst said.

According to the project briefing, the Federal Highway Administration issued a Finding of No Significant Impact in 2020 based on an environmental assessment. A reevaluation of the environmental assessment was done in September 2024.

Supportive opinion

Jennifer Shukaitis, chair of the Stroud Township supervisors, read a statement on behalf of the supervisors.

“Based on the information presented to the board we believe the project has been designed in compliance with applicable state and environment regulations,” Shukaitis said. “The project team has demonstrated intent to implement appropriate best management practices for erosion, sediment control, as well as to minimize and mitigate potential impacts to waters of the commonwealth in accordance with Chapter 105 requirements.”

Shukaitis said they have reduced wetland impacts to 1.63 acres, the 100-year flood plain impacts to 7.3 acres, perennial stream impacts to 5,000 acres, commercial displacements to 10 units, and residential displacements to 14 units. She said the supervisors “support this project’s continued advancement through the PA-DEP process.”