Route 61 in eastern Pennsylvania flows through semi-rural areas in Schuylkill County. This divided highway provides important access for residents traveling for healthcare, business, school activities and pleasure. It also serves as a key link to I-81 in the north and I-78 in the south.
The road has carried heavy traffic over the years and needs full-depth reconstruction. PennDOT's District 5 is supervising the work, which will include realignment of several substandard curves, wider shoulders, rehabilitation of eight culverts and four retaining walls.
PennDOT, District 5 photo
J.D. Eckman of Atglen is the contractor for the project, which also will include work on a bridge on Darkwater Road over Mill Creek, ADA curb ramps and signage. The work also will involve reconfiguring the intersection at Darkwater Road to improve safety. The project is projected for completion in 2029 and will cost $115 million.
The project is in Blythe, New Castle and Ryan Townships, and the boroughs of St. Clair and Frackville. The job will cover 17.6 lane mi.. Brent Hentz of PennDOT is supervising the project.
"We are in our second year of the project, which started in the spring 2024," he told Construction Equipment Guide. "We have received the backing of virtually every elected official, school board and municipal authority in the area. This area has seen numerous crashes and the road has some difficult curves and limited sightlines."
Hentz added that the key part of the job is moving a mountain out of the way.
"We call it the ‘big cut,' where Eckman and its team will remove about 350,000 cubic yards of material. It is the largest non-Interstate project in the state's history. The work will eliminate a hard curve by "softening" the bend in the road. Locals have called this bend "dead man's curve" because it is so accident prone. The improved road with be a bend rather than a turn. The work will also reduce the grade of the road."
These changes all add up to a considerable improvement in safety, especially since Route 61 carries significant tractor trailer traffic.
Workers will use explosives to loosen the rock for "the big cut" and utilize the material for subgrade in the new road and for other construction work on the project.
PennDOT, District 5 photo
The contractor bought two new excavators and a new dozer for the job: John Deere 470 excavator and 1050 dozer, the largest dozer the company makes. Of course, the new equipment was GPS enabled, making it easier for workers to achieve proper slopes in the excavation.
Originally built some 30 years ago, Route 61 had many problems including longitudinal tears and serious problems with the southbound lanes eroding. New culverts will enable the redesigned road to properly handle stormwater runoff. Culvert 6 was realigned with steel and grout.
The new Route 61 will be composed of 14-15 in. of asphalt. The road will be supported by a geotextile layer and 8 in. of subbase. Workers will use 920,000 tons of asphalt for the project, including subbase, base and wearing course.
The project includes upgrading the Route 61 intersection with Darkwater Road in New Castle Township. This intersection is being widened, turning lanes are being added, with a traffic signal. In addition, Darkwater Road will be extended to the eastern side of Route 61 via the new Darkwater Road bridge over Mill Creek. This bridge will be a single-span, concrete beam bridge.
The newly configured bridge and intersection also will provide a simpler transition for motorists traveling to the Famous Reading Outdoors Adventure park, which boasts 11,000 members who use the park's 650 trails for off-road adventures on dirt bikes, ATVs and specially equipped vehicles. Park organizers host events and campers in this rugged terrain, making easy access to the park essential. CEG
