Scranton-linked projects seek $5.2 million in PennDOT multimodal funding
Three Lackawanna County applications tied to Scranton seek a combined $5,215,076 through PennDOT’s Multimodal Transportation Fund for a downtown pedestrian underpass, congestion improvements on Montage Mountain Road and right-of-way work connected to redevelopment along North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street.
The applications appear on PennDOT’s fiscal 2026-27 list, which was available and crawled on Aug. 4, 2026. They are funding requests, not confirmed grants. The reviewed records do not establish that PennDOT has approved or awarded money for any of the three projects.
The three requests
The largest request is $2,161,593 from the Lackawanna County commissioners for North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street infrastructure improvements. PennDOT’s description says the request concerns right-of-way improvements needed for redevelopment involving several recently acquired, contiguous commercial properties along those Scranton corridors.
Lackawanna County also seeks $2.075 million for Montage Mountain Road improvements. The application proposes widening the roadway and installing programmable overhead lane-use signs to help manage recurring event-related congestion on a corridor connected to Interstate 81, Interstate 84 and the regional highway system.
The third request is $978,483 from Lackawanna County for the Cliff Street Underpass Pedestrian Improvement Project. The application proposes renovating and reopening the abandoned underpass to improve pedestrian and bicycle access between downtown Scranton, Steamtown National Historic Site, the Electric City Trolley Museum and the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail.
What could change locally
The proposals address three different transportation needs. The Cliff Street project could create another pedestrian and bicycle connection downtown if it is approved and completed. The Montage Mountain request is aimed at managing vehicle congestion during periods of heavier, event-related traffic. The North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street request concerns right-of-way conditions associated with a commercial redevelopment effort.
Those effects remain conditional. The applications do not guarantee that the underpass will reopen, that Montage Mountain Road will be widened or equipped with the proposed signs, or that the redevelopment-related improvements will proceed.
Separate from existing transportation work
PennDOT’s 2026 District 4 transportation program provides broader context for road, bridge and corridor work planned or continuing in the Scranton area. The program lists projects including interstate work, bridge preservation and replacement, and improvements involving North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street.
That separate transportation program should not be read as an award announcement for the three Multimodal Transportation Fund applications. City information published June 16 also discussed the expected final traffic configuration for the existing Green Ridge Street bridge project and roadway concerns along North Main Avenue. Those matters remain separate from the new applications unless a later record explicitly connects them.
What happens next
The next significant records would be PennDOT award decisions, followed by project designs, schedules, local approvals and other implementation details. Until those steps are documented, the three Scranton-linked items remain applications.
For residents, commuters, visitors and local businesses, the combined request is substantial, but the practical outcome is still uncertain. Walking access downtown, traffic movement near Montage Mountain Road and right-of-way conditions along North Main Avenue and Green Ridge Street will depend on future state decisions and project approvals.
Sources
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