UPPER MOUNT BETHEL TWP., Pa. — Twenty-one months after a rockslide closed Route 611 in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, the state Department of Transportation on Wednesday began work to re-open the highway.
Ron Young, a spokesman for PennDOT District 5, confirmed that contractors from Chester County began moving in barriers and safety equipment Wednesday under a special permit approved by the National Park Service.
Over the next eight to 10 weeks, crews will install a temporary rockfall barrier and perform excavation.
“This is what happens when we come together at all levels of government, and I’m proud of what we accomplished as a team."U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, in a statement
The project will let two-way traffic begin to flow through the area while PennDOT and the NPS negotiate terms for a more permanent solution, according to a new release from U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa.
While PennDOT owns the road and right-of-way, the surrounding property is owned by the NPS and projects must comply with federal regulations.
“This is what happens when we come together at all levels of government, and I’m proud of what we accomplished as a team,” Cartwright said in a prepared statement.
The news, he said, "is proof that locking arms delivers real results for the people we serve.”
A breakthrough
After months of gridlock, Cartwright began holding bi-weekly meetings with state and federal officials in a bid to get the project moving.
A breakthrough in the talks first was announced about a month ago. He credited other officials for helping the talks progress, including state Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe, and state Rep. Tarah Probst, D-Monroe.
A Right-to-Know request by LehighValleyNews.com showed PennDOT and the NPS went back on forth over the scope of the project for months.
PennDOT intended to remove loose rock and boulders using bars and airbags to improve safety for motorists.
The NPS and some federally recognized Native American tribes expressed concerns about the level of work — including plans to remove plants and potential risks to historic and cultural resources on the mountain — as well as bureaucratic errors in the initial paperwork.
In response, PennDOT agreed to limit the extent of the rock scaling, avoid cutting down trees when possible and to let tribal representatives observe the construction, documents showed.
'It's about time!'
The closure became a point of vocal frustration for area residents and businesses.
A trip to the supermarket or doctors office between Portland and Stroudsburg would normally take about 15 minutes one-way when the highway was open, but the closure required locals to either add 10 minutes to their trip by taking Route 191 or pay a toll to hop on the often-congested Interstate 80.
Local officials had vented their frustrations with the situation for weeks, saying they felt ignored as the state and federal government haggled over the details of the project.
All the while, local businesses suffered as through traffic dried up and many residents wound up ponying up $6 for every roundtrip over the mountain.
"It's about time!" Portland Borough Council President Lance Prator said.
