About 30 streetlights along the McDade Expressway have been out for close to a week - and could remain that way for a few more days as officials work to determine what caused the outages.
Scranton Department of Public Works Director Mark Dougher said Tuesday at least 29 streetlights from Business Route 6 in Dickson City to Mulberry Street in Scranton have not been working since Nov. 21.
Though it has not been confirmed, Mr. Dougher cites the state Department of Transportation's recent construction work on the expressway as a probable cause, adding that lights usually do not stop working without a reason.
PennDOT spokesman Mike Taluto offered a different opinion, saying those lights are the city's property - and, therefore, the city's responsibility.
There is no timetable for fixing the lights, Mr. Dougher said. He said he plans to call PennDOT's "troubleshooting people" today.
"There is clearly a break in the line somewhere," Mr. Dougher said. "PennDOT has been wrapping up their project there, and something probably went wrong. I'll have them go and check it out."
After months of construction, PennDOT recently finished a $1.6 million project that included drainage and paving work, as well as the installation of new signs at the junction of the McDade Expressway and Business Route 6.
Though the construction work is finished, Mr. Dougher questioned whether PennDOT officials had "tied up all the loose ends," including restoring power to the streetlights.
"It doesn't matter if the city owns the lights - if PennDOT affected the lights during the construction phase, it's their responsibility," Mr. Dougher said.
Mr. Taluto said he doesn't believe PennDOT construction work caused the outages. However, if Mr. Dougher's claim is correct, he isn't sure who would be responsible for fixing the streetlights.
Either way, he cautioned drivers to be more alert while driving on the expressway.
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter