PennDOT is repaving section of Route 309 in the Hazleton area after receiving complaints that the road gets slippery.
Crews closed sections of Route 309 in Hazleton Monday. They were removing sections of pavement from one of the main roads into Hazleton. As they worked, a warning sign flashed "Slippery conditions."
Hazleton city officials complained that when the pavement gets wet, vehicles lose traction and there have been a number of crashes.
The road's reputation is well known to some drivers.
"I make sure I am far enough behind the car in front of me and I watch my rear view mirror all the time because if you have to come to a sudden stop on this when it's wet, it's not going to happen," said Stan Schroyer of Drums.
Driver Nancy Kramer of Hazleton agreed. "I did hear people talk about how the conditions were. When it would get wet it would be like black ice," she said.
PennDOT said the agency originally spent $200,000 to pave Route 309 last year. It's spending $370,000 to strip away the roadway and do the job over again, this time using a different method.
Anita Bronstein of Hazleton knows the project will create some delays. "I understand the problem and they have to fix it and there are a lot of delays and everybody's traffic and stuff like that but it's better than having someone lose their lives," Bronstein said.
Schroyer added that kind of cost is frustrating from a taxpayers point of view. "It seems a little odd to me that. I don't know if they didn't test this stuff they put down originally. It seems to be a waste of money the first go around, like I said why didn't they do it right the first time," said Schroyer.
Before the latest repaving project began, PennDOT tested the road. A PennDOT spokesman said the tests were inconclusive.
Crews closed sections of Route 309 in Hazleton Monday. They were removing sections of pavement from one of the main roads into Hazleton. As they worked, a warning sign flashed "Slippery conditions."
Hazleton city officials complained that when the pavement gets wet, vehicles lose traction and there have been a number of crashes.
The road's reputation is well known to some drivers.
"I make sure I am far enough behind the car in front of me and I watch my rear view mirror all the time because if you have to come to a sudden stop on this when it's wet, it's not going to happen," said Stan Schroyer of Drums.
Driver Nancy Kramer of Hazleton agreed. "I did hear people talk about how the conditions were. When it would get wet it would be like black ice," she said.
PennDOT said the agency originally spent $200,000 to pave Route 309 last year. It's spending $370,000 to strip away the roadway and do the job over again, this time using a different method.
Anita Bronstein of Hazleton knows the project will create some delays. "I understand the problem and they have to fix it and there are a lot of delays and everybody's traffic and stuff like that but it's better than having someone lose their lives," Bronstein said.
Schroyer added that kind of cost is frustrating from a taxpayers point of view. "It seems a little odd to me that. I don't know if they didn't test this stuff they put down originally. It seems to be a waste of money the first go around, like I said why didn't they do it right the first time," said Schroyer.
Before the latest repaving project began, PennDOT tested the road. A PennDOT spokesman said the tests were inconclusive.
