Rep. Probst still seeking changes to I-80 project as first phase is set to start in 2024

State Rep. Tarah Probst continues the fight for changes to the planned expansion of Interstate 80 through the Stroudsburg area as the project's first phase looms closer.

PennDOT's Interstate 80 Reconstruction Project is moving ahead with the final design for a 3.5-mile stretch of highway that starts west of Exit 303 in Stroud Township and ends east of Exit 307 in East Stroudsburg. Construction on the first phase is set to start by the end of 2024.

Probst (D-189) and the I-80 Project Impact AAA Task Force met for a monthly meeting open to the public on Jan. 23, following a town hall event on Nov. 9, 2023, to once again discuss the impacts of the project and efforts to stop or change parts of the planned project.

More: 3-phase I-80 reconstruction plans unveiled; first phase starts this year

The chair of the task force, Kris Battle, said that while this project will bring about much-needed improvements and new infrastructure such as increased bridge heights and longer exit ramps, which they are in favor of, it will also bring "many unintended consequences that we need to keep to a minimum."

Battle said one of their biggest points of disagreement is the interstate expansion to six lanes, plus four full shoulders in an area that will funnel back into two lanes and "create additional bottleneck conditions that already exist daily at the Bartonsville interchange and at the I-80 east NJ/PA border. There's also the removal of exits and the addition of sound walls, which will create a tunnel effect and limited visibility of Stroudsburg, decreasing foot traffic to businesses in town."

According to the PennDOT plan, the existing entrance and exit at Dreher Avenue is slated to be closed. The Main Street exit will be reconfigured with access via a new interchange one mile away. Battle said "this configuration will create confusing and limited mobility to access West Main Street, Route 209 and neighborhoods to the south of 209 as well as increase emergency response times."

Battle added, "Dreher Avenue serves the west side of town, an established aging, rural population connecting Cherry Valley and Saylorsburg. Main Street serves the schools, businesses and those traveling to Route 611. By claiming theses exits serve the same purpose, PennDOT has missed the opportunity to design for the whole community and is putting an entire population in danger with increased response times from emergency personnel."

Probst said it would "create five to 12 minutes' extra time to the nearest hospital without the Dreher Avenue exit that services all of the west side of our town, as well as Stroud Township. Not to mention, the five or more years of planned construction that would destroy our residents' quality of life, our downtown businesses, our economy and our beautiful historical district."

Probst has advocated against parts of the I-80 project since her first term as mayor of Stroudsburg. She hosted the Nov. 9 town hall where she gathered local officials to explain the impacts of the project to the community.

Over three hundred residents attended the town hall and over 1,500 signatures were collected in a petition within days. As a result, Secretary of Transportation Mike Carroll met with Probst on Dec. 11 and "agreed to give it another look," said Probst.

Probst said she is asking that they scale back some of the project. "We want 85% of this project, including better surfaces, longer ramps, full shoulders and new bridges heights. The money saved in scaling back could go towards Routes 611 and 191 because they touch Interstate 80 and need improvements.”

On Jan. 11, Probst received a response from Carroll. In his letter, he said "we cannot correct the underlying issue of the interstate's route taking it through the Borough."

He went on to say the "FHWA agrees with the current project and the footprint has been minimized as much as possible by staying on the original alignment, utilizing retaining walls, and reducing the number of closely spaced interchanges. We are unable to accommodate Representative Probst's request due to its incompatibility with the project's objectives and the significant risk that these types of project modifications will add major costs not covered by federal funds."

Probst responded to Carroll on Jan. 12 in a letter, doubling down on how crucial the Dreher Avenue exit is, saying that "the thousands of households that will no longer have access to the highway will be an emergency nightmare."

During the November town hall, Mehmet Barzev, emergency management coordinator for Stroudsburg, explained that the borough's volunteer-based fire department can't afford any delays in response time. "We rely on short bursts down the interstate to get through town or to get our mutual aid partners to help us respond to calls," he said.

Probst further reminded Carroll in her letter that the DEP has not yet issued any permits to see if it was environmentally sound to do extra lanes and a flyover exit. She said according to prior testimony from the Brodhead Watershed Association and PennFuture, "we will have huge environmental impacts from the additional lanes and are prepared to move forward to protect our waterways, which have exceptional value status." She concluded that she will continue the fight to protect Stroudsburg.

Stroudsburg Borough Manager Larry Kopp attended the town hall and the recent meeting, where he lamented the tax implications it could mean for residents and businesses and the borough's limited ability to raise revenue "as there are over 100 property acquisitions expected through the project. These acquisitions would reduce the the tax base for Monroe County, Stroudsburg and Stroud Township."

"We are are landlocked, there's limited growth and the bottom line is, probably higher taxes," said Kopp.

Battle added "funding will be lost which help fund programs, athletics, music and more within the schools. This will also raise the individual school taxes to those still living within the community."

Probst said the impacts will be to livelihoods, the environment and businesses. "We are the only downtown in Monroe County and the county seat, and they are taking away people's livelihoods for tractor trailers. They are taking away properties and exits, taking away chances for small businesses to survive."

Probst promised to continue to fight and with the help of the task force, to hold PennDOT accountable every step of the way. "We have exceptional value water, we have native species, we are the Poconos. We are known for our clean air and clean water and you can't possibly take over 9,000 acres of swinging concrete over our creeks and not have runoff and stormwater issues going into our creeks and streams."

Dozens spoke out during the Nov. 7 townhall, voicing their own concerns and opinions about the project. One after another, residents expressed fears about the traffic and gridlock in their town during and after the construction. They expressed concerns about higher taxes and lower property values due to sound walls going up.

“I’m fearful that this is going to devastate the town that we love, that I could walk to almost everything and every event we have. And now it’s just gonna be a ghost town,” said Cindy Blake of Stroudsburg. "People are not going to want to come downtown. They will avoid it, businesses will close, and we will be devastated."

The officials at the town hall and the community at large seemed to understand the need for change and upgrades in the infrastructure. But the consensus in the room was wanting a positive change without negative impacts to the community.

"Add this six-year project to the perpetual mess in the I-80/611 Delaware Water Gap corridor. Jersey residents have already stopped dining and using doctors in PA. Sadly, for many of us, it has become not worth the risk to cross the river. We were once one community, many of us even worshiped on the PA side and our children played on Monroe County youth sports teams. Not so much anymore and it is such a shame," said Tara Mezzanotte, a resident of Knowlton, New Jersey, and founding member of the I80DWG Coalition.

Maria Francis covers K-12 education and real estate, housing and development for the Pocono Record. Reach her at mfrancis@poconorecord.com.

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Rep. Probst still seeking changes to I-80 project in Stroudsburg area