Motorists in Lackawanna County have reason to celebrate as two significant bridge projects have recently reopened to traffic. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) officials announced the reopening of the I-84 “twin bridges” in Roaring Brook and the Green Ridge Street Bridge in Scranton. Although both projects are nearing completion, final touches are anticipated to extend into 2026.
I-84 Twin Bridges Now Open
The ambitious I-84 Twin Bridges project, initiated in 2020 with a budget of $113 million, is a major undertaking that included replacing two spans over Roaring Brook and a railway line. While traffic is now flowing in both directions, minor paving work is scheduled for the upcoming spring, marking the closing stages of this expansive project.
Harold Hill, Assistant District Executive for District 4, provided reassurance, stating, “You’ll be able to travel both East and westbound. And then in the spring, we’ll do some minor paving work, but for all intents and purposes, that [project] is done.”
Green Ridge Street Bridge Back in Service
The Green Ridge Street Bridge replacement project in Scranton was another crucial project, costing $16.9 million. The bridge, originally built in 1945 and expanded in 1983, has been replaced with a new structure designed to last. In the interim, a temporary bridge facilitated traffic flow, which will now be dismantled as the new bridge becomes the primary thoroughfare.
Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll remarked, “I was there to see the temporary bridge that was deployed, and that made that project advance quicker and made it safer for the delivery of the new asset.”
District 4’s Expansive 2025 Efforts
Besides these major projects, District 4 saw an impressive $892 million worth of construction work in 2025, spread across Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties. Projects ranged from significant bridge replacements to necessary roadway maintenance, showcasing PennDOT’s commitment to infrastructure improvement.
“Not every project is as high-profile as the Twin Bridge project, where folks can see cranes and equipment,” Carroll commented. “We have a lot of others that are very ordinary projects — but equally important.”
The 2025 highlights for District 4 included 52 projects put to bid, 578 miles of paving, 49 bridge repairs or replacements, and over 10,000 line-miles of road painting.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As 2026 approaches, several key projects are poised to continue, with PennDOT focusing on crucial infrastructure enhancements across the region. Projects of note include the ongoing work on the I-84 bridge replacement and interchange reconfiguration in Roaring Brook and Dunmore, which will see an investment of $117.7 million.
Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and patient as these projects progress, with Carroll emphasizing the importance of safety: “It’s important, critically important, to me, that every single person who works in a construction zone makes it home safely every single night.”
