Page "Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania" Paragraph 20

U. S. Routes 11 and 15 pass through the borough.

The highway is a major travel artery through the region.

Flow is constant ( truck and vehicle ) with very heavy loads and backups on Fridays ( especially in the afternoon ) and holiday weekends.

There is a proposed major highway bypass project called the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway.

It is meeting with funding challenges that have delayed the project for decades.

This thruway will cross Monroe Township just north of Shamokin Dam.

Many residential properties are designated for eminent domain actions.

Residents along the proposed route have expressed concerns about the negative impact on their quality of life that the thruway will mean.

Pro development forces have been successful in overwhelming their objections.

Others are concerned that, like the town of Selinsgrove which is in decline, the bypass will mean the loss of local revenue and jobs that the travelers on the highway bring to the many local restaurants and hotels located along the current Rte 11 & 15 highway.

In June 2007 another two year delay was announced by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

The primary roadblock is a lack of funding for the estimated over $ 300 million dollar project.

The state's transportation has historically been grossly underfunded.

This has resulted in hundreds of bridges and roads in need of repair.

PennDOT report on Snyder County roads and bridges in need of repair.