St. Luke's is moving along with construction of its $80 million hospital in Franklin Township.

The three-story, 80-bed facility will bring state-of-the-art healthcare and hundreds of jobs to Carbon County.

The COVID-19 pandemic did delay the project by about 60 days but construction is now well underway and the site near the Mahoning Valley Turnpike interchange is buzzing with activity.

"We're making great progress on the new hospital. The foundation is in, the elevator shafts are going up, stairwells, and next week the steel arrives," said John Nespoli, president of St. Luke's Carbon County campuses.

In the next few weeks, a steel structure will begin to form and by early next year, the building is expected to be fully-enclosed. 2021 will also see the widening of Harrity Road.

"The road gets widened, we'll have a turning lane, acceleration lane and deceleration lane right in front of the hospital," said project manager, Bret Buchman.

For Carbon County residents, the full-service hospital will bring premiere healthcare closer to home.

"Right now people are leaving the area for care, scattering in all directions and so this new center will have the highest level of care, in-house critical care, 24 hours a day, seven days a week," said Nespoli.

In addition to an emergency department, the campus will offer a variety of speciality services and eventually house a new cancer facility and women's health center.

"This gives St. Luke's the ability to continue to recruit the best physicians in the country to Carbon County," said Nespoli.

The facility will bring hundreds of jobs to the rural region.

"Well-paying jobs, and so that will be a benefit as well to the area so again that will increase our tax base,it'll all be a good thing," said Kathy Henderson, Carbon County's director of economic development.

"Currently St. Luke's already has 1100 employees living in Carbon County, making us one of the largest employers in the area. We estimate the economic impact currently in the county, from St. Luke's at about $300 million a year, and we see that potentially doubling as a result of this new hospital," said Nespoli

St. Luke's Carbon Campus is on track to open in early 2022.