URGENT Interstate 81 Info needed.

[TripletDad]

Part of our group is leaving tomorrow and the rest Friday. We have to travel
I 81 through Binghamton, NY and Scranton / Wilkes Barre, PA. With all the Flooding in those areas, does anyone know the status of I 81? Is it open or closed? I have called our local state Police and they couldn't help me. I tried to find info online and haven't found out. Anyone in those areas with any info or advice would be great. Thanks

TripletDad

 

[rainy~daze]

as far as i know it is open, check wnep.com our local tv station has a list of closed roads, i believe it links right to PA DOT, which has the current listing.:
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district4.nsf/roadclosuresJune2006.htm,
from what it says only lane restriction around mt top(just past wilkes barre)

 

[TripletDad]

Thanks rainy~daze that helped. I think the people leaving tomorrow are going to us an alternate route. I think they are going to take the NYS thruway to Erie, PA and go on down from there.

TripletDad

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

As of this morning, Cortland and Broome Counties are still in a state of emergency, meaning no unnecessary travel (define that as you will), but I have heard nothing about Route 81 being closed at any point. Wilkes-Barre was evacuated as a precautionary measure as the city did not want to have the first test of their overhauled levees to be a disaster. So far the Susquehanna has crested four feet below those levees and everything is OK.

 

[disneyagain]

Rt 81 is currently open through NY and PA. The kids and I just took a ride down to exit1 (NYS) to see the flooding along the susquehanna river. Exit 2 was closed, but the highway was open. My DH works for the NYS Police and he just got off work at 7:00 this morning and said as far as he knows 81 is open through PA also.

 

[DonnaL]

I believe the only problem on 81 was the very northern section close to the NY border. The Susquehanna runs right through there. I believe the exit into Harford/Great Bend is probably still closed because they had extremely bad flooding right off the exit, but, I would imagine the highway itself is open. I haven't heard otherwise on our local news channels. The only other problems might be some mud slide type problems in various areas which don't close the road, but, slow things down somewhat. In so far as the Wilkes Barre area, only the low lying had any problems. Route 81 is a good distance from the river and very high also.

 

[Karenj2]

At 5:30ish, we got a call from my in-laws, who were traveling home from Niagra Falls. They luckily had planned to stop anyway in Binghamton NY, because they said that exits 4-1 were all closed. I don't know when the roads are going to be opened...

Does anyone have a good website for interstate advisories?

 

[Lori-n-NY]

Heres two Syracuse based TV channels that might help you.
www.9WSYR.com
www.news10now.com

Lori

 

[lorli]

Canton is north of us so this idea would be longer but we always hit 15 in Corning until picking up 81 outside Harrisburg. This way will avoid the Binghamton area completely, especially if there is still a state of emergency. Good luck and Happy Traveling.