Probst’s office to offer assistance

Monroe County residents have said that they feel dismissed, unheard and unrepresented by some elected officials on an issue that will reshape the region. State Rep. Tarah Probst said she wants the public to know that her office is available to help with any issues that may arise from the construction in progress along I-80 in East Stroudsburg.

“My staff is currently working with constituents who’ve been incorrectly ticketed by PennDOT through the construction zone, as well as those who have questions about what the construction is addressing, yet are not able to find answers elsewhere,” said Probst, D-Monroe/Pike. “If this doesn’t give you an idea of what the I-80 expansion project will bring, then nothing else will. This is destruction, and unsafe, not progress.”

For over a decade, constituents have repeatedly raised serious concerns about a now $935 million expansion project planned across exits 303 to 307 on I-80 East and West, which includes the loss of homes and businesses within the proposed corridor; destruction of historic woodlands and natural sound barriers; stormwater and flooding risks that may violate state environmental requirements, and an increase in noise and air pollution affecting residents and students in schools, homes, and long-established neighborhoods.

Additional concerns include faster traffic and increased crash risks, threats to wetlands, wildlife habitat and drinking water quality, and the lack of transparency in PennDOT’s decision-making and modeling.

“We needed an Environmental Impact Statement on this project a decade ago,” Probst said. “How anyone could say there is ‘no significant impact’ in this billion-dollar abomination that results in environmental chaos and a disproportionate number of seniors, BIPOC, low-income, and children being displaced from their homes and their community is absurd, and it’s a lie.

“Moreover, we do need taller bridges, we do need 12-foot shoulders, but for a billion dollars, we could fix all the roads in Monroe County. It’s overkill. And PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll and the governor know it,” she said.

According to Probst, residents also are calling on the Federal Highway Administration, which is funding the project, and PennDOT to perform and release a full Environmental Impact Statement, to consider less harmful alternatives that protect Monroe County communities and acknowledge the overwhelming public opposition.

Residents with concerns about the I-80 project should contact Probst’s office in Stroudsburg at 570-420-2850.