​​​​Interstate 81, Section 316 Ashley to Arena ​

County: Luzerne
State Route:  Interstate 81
Project Type: Roadway & Interchange Improvements
Proposed Start:  2028
Proposed End: 4-5 Years

(formerly known as Partnership 81)

Update June 2025

In the summer of 2024, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) Interstate 81 Section 316 Ashley to Arena Project.  An Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared for the project and shared with the public for review and comment from March 11 through April 12, 2024.​

All comments received during the public comment period were given equal consideration and are addressed in the FONSI document, which can be found on the project website.  The EA, which was prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act, examined the potential impacts to the natural, social, economic, and cultural resources from this project and alternatives under consideration.

With the issuance of the FONSI, the Interstate 81 Section 316 Ashley to Arena Project has now moved forward into final design, and will begin coordination of the right-of-way acquisition process.

Update March 2024

We apologize that the letters and flyers for the SR 0081-316 public hearing announcement were not delivered to the residents along Hill Street in advance of the meeting date.  PennDOT's team coordinated with the United States Postal Service (USPS) to deliver the public hearing announcements to the postal routes located within and adjacent to the project area (which included Hill Street).  However, portions of the mail route that includes Hill Street did not receive these mailings as scheduled.  PennDOT's team is working with the USPS to determine the cause of this missed delivery.

Please contact Stephen Sartori, P.E. at (570) 235-2964 or c-ssartori@pa.gov for more information.

Update February 2024

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) in coordination with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will conduct a Public Hearing for the Interstate 81 (I-81) Section 316 Ashley to Arena project (formerly known as the Partnership 81 project), which extends from Hanover Township to Wilkes-Barre Township in Luzerne County between milepost 161.2 north of Nuangola exit and exit 168, Highland Park Boulevard. The Public Hearing will be conducted as part of the 30-day comment period on the Environmental Assessment (EA). The public comment period is open from March 11 to April 12, 2024. All interested are invited to attend the Public Hearing:

• DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 (snow date March 26)
• PLACE: Luzerne County Community College, Educational Conference         Center, Building 10, 521 Trailblazer Drive, Nanticoke, PA 18634
• TIME:  Registration/Plans Display: 4:00 PM, Public Testimony: 5:00-8:00 PM

Those providing testimony are asked to register in advance by calling (570) 235-2964, or emailing  c-ssartori@pa.gov. Registration for testimony will also be available at the hearing. Oral testimony will be limited to five minutes per participant and the number of slots will depend on available time. Individuals may provide testimony privately in a separate hearing room with a stenographer.

In lieu of oral testimony, written comments may be submitted by mail or email to the contact below. All written comments must be received/post-marked by April 12, 2024. Written comments may also be brought to the in-person hearing and deposited in the comment box. The Public Hearing Comment Form can be accessed by clicking here.

• PUBLIC HEARING CONTACT INFORMATION:
• Stephen Sartori, PE
• Consultant Project Manager
• PA Department of Transportation, Engineering District 4-0
• 55 Keystone Industrial Park Road
• Dunmore, PA 18512
• Email: c-ssartori@pa.gov
• Phone: (570) 235-2964

The EA is available for review at the following locations:

• PennDOT District 4-0: 55 Keystone Industrial Park, Dunmore, PA 18512
• Ashley Municipal Bldg.: 49 Cemetery Street, Ashley, PA 18706
• Wilkes-Barre Township Municipal Bldg.: 150 Watson Street, Wilkes-Barre Township, PA 18702
• Hanover Township Municipal Bldg.: 1267 Sans Souci Parkway, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18706
• Sugar Notch Borough Office: 892 Main Street, Sugar Notch, PA 18706

The EA is also available for review on PennDOT's website under the Resources section.

The public hearing location is accessible to persons with disabilities. Any persons having special needs or requiring special aids are requested to contact Stephen Sartori at (570) 235-2964 or c-ssartori@pa.gov prior to the meeting event in order that special disability needs may be accommodated.

Update June 2023

The Partnership 81 project has transitioned from a Public Private Partnership (P3) to a traditional design-bid-build project and has been renamed "Interstate 81, Section 316 Ashley to Arena".  The preliminary engineering and environmental clearance process will continue as previously scheduled and discussed at the public meeting held in July 2022.

Neighborhood meetings were held on March 28, 2023, at Luzerne County Community College and March 30, 2023, at the Wilkes-Barre Township Fire Hall to review the current status of the preliminary engineering as well as the preliminary noise analysis.  A summary of these meetings can be found at the link below.

Neighborhood Meeting Summary Report

Update March 2023

Preliminary Noise Analysis: A preliminary noise analysis was conducted to determine the locations and communities within the project area that are considered Noise Sensitive Areas (NSA) based on land use, geography, and traffic volumes. Potential sound barriers will be considered near impacted sites.

July 2022

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) invites the public to view this online plan display regarding the Partnership 81 project, which extends from Hanover Township to Wilkes-Barre Township in Luzerne County, to evaluate improvements along the 7.5-mile corridor of Interstate 81 (I-81). The project will encompass work between milepost 161.2 north of the Nuangola exit and exit 168, Highland Park Boulevard. The current alignments of I-81 in the northbound and southbound directions split or separate between milepost 164 and 166.5 creating multiple connections with Route 29 and Route 309. The project will improve connections with these roadways, eliminate travel movements that do not meet current criteria, and increase capacity to accommodate future traffic growth. This project was originally proposed to be advertised as a Public Private Partnership (P3), but the project is now anticipated to be advertised as a traditional design-bid-build project.

PennDOT is currently performing preliminary engineering and gaining environmental clearance to improve I-81 through the project area to meet regional and local traffic needs by providing an improved roadway network that reduces congestion and modernizes the design.

The purpose of the project is to improve I-81 from milepost 161.2 to approximately one mile north of Exit 168 (Highland Park Boulevard) to meet regional traffic and local needs, as well as support the Primary Highway Freight System (PHFS) and interstate travel within the northeastern United States, by providing a transportation facility that reduces congestion, improves highway geometry, and addresses mobility issues.

Environmental

The Partnership 81 Project is currently in the preliminary engineering phase which includes the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) environmental review process. The NEPA process involves the identification of natural, cultural, and socioeconomic resources present in the project area and the evaluation of impacts, avoidance measures, and mitigation for those resources. Resources of concern in the Partnership 81 Project study area include threatened and endangered bat species, streams, wetlands, 4(f) resources, State Game Lands, State Forest, above-ground historic resources, parks and recreation areas, hazardous waste sites, residential and commercial structure displacements, and environmental justice populations. The findings of the environmental studies completed are available for public review on this web page.

Recommended Alternative

The recommended alternative includes reconstruction of I-81 between milepost 161.2 and exit 168 (Highland Park Blvd), construction of one additional travel lane in each direction to provide three northbound and three southbound within the project limits. The project will also provide improvements to the interchanges at Exit 164 with Route 29 and Exit 165 with Route 309, and will realign a portion of I-81 to improve the traffic operations and safety throughout the corridor.  Bridges and other roadway structures will be replaced or repaired, the drainage and stormwater management systems will be improved, and sound walls/barriers will be constructed where appropriate to mitigate any increase in noise due to traffic.

The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and construction is not expected to begin before 2028 subject to all approvals, environmental clearances, and funding availability.

Title VI

Pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, PennDOT does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. If you feel that you have been denied the benefits of, or participation in a PennDOT program or activity, you may contact the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Equal Opportunity, DBE/Title VI Division at 717-787-5891.

Traffic Control

During construction, traffic could be maintained by several different options that include:

• Two lanes of traffic in each direction along I-81 will be maintained during construction.
• Short-term detours and lane closures along the non-interstate roadways within the project area may be necessary during construction.​