PORTLAND, Pa. — There’s been a breakthrough in the nearly 2-year-old impasse to reopen a closed stretch of Route 611 at the Northampton County-Monroe County line.
A compromise between state and federal officials will enable the road to reopen in about eight to 10 weeks – by the end of September, according to U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright, D-Pa.
A three-mile section of Route 611 from Portland to Delaware Water Gap has been closed in both directions since a rockslide occurred during heavy rain on Dec. 6, 2022.
Business owners in Portland and Delaware Water Gap have said the shutdown has crippled and victimized them at the expense of government red tape.
According to Cartwright, crews will install a temporary, free-standing rockfall barrier where the rockslide occurred that allows two-way traffic to flow while different agencies work on a more permanent solution.
“In my ongoing meetings with PennDOT, the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration – along with national, state and local public officials – we were able to find common ground that included prioritizing the opening of the road to traffic while keeping motorists safe,” Cartwright said.
"I love Portland. Like they say it’s the gateway to the Poconos. But it’s the gateway to nowhere right now."Janet Futchko, owner of Janet's Jems, 511 Delaware Ave., Portland
Janet Futchko, who has operated Janet’s Jems thrift shop on Delaware Avenue in Portland since 2015, said she was excited by word of the reopening.
“I have been debating on whether I’m closing my shop or not,” she said. “To hear that it’s going to open … I will be ecstatic. At least I have a glimmer of hope that my business is going to be here.”
Cartwright said state Sen. Rosemary Brown, R-Monroe/Lackawanna/Wayne, and state Rep. Tara Probst, D-Monroe, both were instrumental in helping to broker the compromise.
When the rockslide occurred, PennDOT quickly announced its intention to clear the rubble and secure the rockface alongside the road, with plans to reopen to northbound traffic after six-to-eight weeks of construction.
Weeks turned into months. Construction never started and the National Park Service – the state highway goes through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area – required a special permit to begin emergency repairs.
The Federal Highway Administration also was involved, along with multiple rounds of Native American tribal consultations, which is common practice when construction would change the environment of cultural or religious sites, according to PennDOT.
Futchko said she's been grateful for the shuttle that brings Poconos tourists to Portland from points north. It's a way for folks to discover Portland with one of its main access points cut off, she said.
"I love Portland," she said. "Like they say it’s the gateway to the Poconos. But it’s the gateway to nowhere right now.
"Now Portland can come back to life. We just need the people to know we’re here."
Portand Borough Council President Lance Prator said he was delighted by the news. Borough residents looking to make a short drive to Stroudsburg were forced to pay tolls throughout the shutdown.
“It’s good for businesses and just for residents,” he said of the planned reopening.
Unfortunately, he said, businesses that suffered during the closure don't have much recourse to recover losses.
"That’s a tough pill to swallow," he said. "It’s a big, rugged barbed wire pill. You feel bad for people, the locals — someone that’s trying to make a go."
State Rep. Ann Flood, R-Northampton, applauded plans for the reopening. Her district includes the Portland area.
“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," Flood said in a news release.
"Businesses in the area have struggled or even been forced to close due to the lack of traffic that sustained the area. It’s time to put the people first, and the plan unveiled today will do that."
Added Brown: “This is a critical step in restoring accessibility and alleviating the hardships faced by our residents and businesses. While this is a temporary fix, it is an important move toward a permanent solution. I will continue to advocate for a comprehensive, long-term solution that balances all interests.”
