Jul. 19, 2024
HARRISBURG – Rep. Ann Flood (R-Northampton) today applauded the long-awaited release of a plan to reopen Route 611 in the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. The highway was closed in December 2022 due to a rockslide; it is expected to finally reopen after work is completed in eight to 10 weeks.
“This has been a major hardship for everyone, as drivers have been forced to pay tolls, as well as higher fuel costs, to get around the closed section of roadway. Businesses in the area have struggled or even been forced to close due to the lack of traffic that sustained the area,” Flood said. “It’s time to put the people first, and the plan unveiled today will do that.
“We have worked hard to keep this issue in front of key decisionmakers from the start. We’ve had the House Transportation Committee chairs tour the closure site, held meetings with people in Portland to hear their concerns and try to develop solutions, communicated our concerns with the governor and more. It’s taken longer than any of us would have liked to get here, but we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“It took the efforts of many to get to this point. I commend the engineers at PennDOT who have worked hard to come up with a resolution to solve a very complex problem, and I want to especially thank Congressman Matt Cartwright for taking the reins and getting us across the finish line with a workable plan to get this road open by late summer.”
The agreed-upon plans include the installation of a temporary, free-standing rockfall barrier, which will allow two-way traffic to flow while crews continue working behind-the-scenes on a more permanent solution. PennDOT estimates it will take about eight to 10 weeks to complete the project.
“I appreciate the efforts that Congressman Cartwright and his office made,” said Borough of Portland Mayor Heather Fischer. “We needed his oversight to get to this point; this is how it works. Portland cannot thank Rep. Flood enough for exhausting every path to try and get eyes on this situation and the impact it was having on the residents and small businesses. While we have a long road ahead to get the work done, we can now take a rest with one to two lanes open from Portland to Delaware Water Gap as it gets sorted.”
Representative Ann Flood
138th Legislative District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives