HARRISBURG– The PennDOT Engineering District 8 region covering Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties wrapped up a successful construction season with 127 active projects, 42 of which were completed.
This work included the Interstate 83 widening and reconstruction project near Harrisburg. This project, also known as East Shore Section 1, includes widening and rebuilding a 2.77-mile section of I-83 east of the City of Harrisburg from just south of Exit 48 for Union Deposit Road, through Exit 50 for U.S. 22 (Colonial Park/Progress), to Exit 51 for Interstate 81.
A $104.7 million contract for this project was awarded to JD Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, PA, in July 2018. The project was substantially completed this fall.
East Shore Section 2 and East Shore Section 3, which extend from the southern limits of Section 1 to the John Harris Memorial (South) Bridge spanning the Susquehanna River, currently are in final design and are expected to go to construction within the next several years. Section 2 construction currently is expected to start in late 2024, while Section 3 construction is expected to start in mid-to-late 2023.
“The I-83 project near Harrisburg is the first of three major projects designed to modernize the I-83 corridor on the east shore in Dauphin County,” said Gov. Tom Wolf. “These projects will result in increased mobility and safety in the Harrisburg region from Interstate 81 to the Susquehanna River.”
“This I-83 project is a prime example of how a modern interstate highway should look and perform,” said Michael Keiser, P.E., acting PennDOT deputy secretary for highway administration. “This much-needed project transformed an outdated highway requiring frequent maintenance into the safe and efficient facility that those who live and work in Pennsylvania deserve.”
In 2021, approximately $145 million in contracts were awarded for 62 projects, including 20 highway projects, 31 bridge replacements or rehabilitations, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, two safety improvements, and districtwide contracts for line painting, raised pavement markings, and sign maintenance.
Projects completed in 2021 included diverging diamond interchanges (DDI) at I-83 Exit 4/Route 851 in York County and at Route 322 and Route 222 in Lancaster County. These innovative interchanges, which are only second and third of their kind in the state, improve safety and mobility by reducing the number of conflict points with oncoming traffic and reducing the number of signal phases at the interchange.
“PennDOT District 8 continues to plan and prioritize projects necessary to keep our transportation network running efficiently,” said PennDOT District 8 Assistant District Executive for Construction Kevin Keefe, P.E. “Given the scope and complexity of the road network in south central Pennsylvania, this is no easy task. However, our dedicated staff will continue to work to ensure our highway system is maintained as efficiently as possible.”
Notable 2021 projects include:
Franklin County
• Replacement or rehabilitation of six bridge structures on Route 30 in Franklin County, $7.1 million; and
• Route 1006 (Main Street) resurfacing in the Village of Scotland, Greene Township, $5 million.
Adams County
• Route 15 resurfacing and safety improvement project in Franklin and Carroll townships, York County and Huntington and Latimore townships, $19.4 million;
• Route 94/Route 234 intersection improvement project in Reading Township, $3.7 million; and
• Route 94 resurfacing in Berwick Hamilton and Oxford townships, and on Route 194 in Berwick and Hamilton townships and Abbottstown Borough, $3.3 million.
Cumberland County
• Route 11 resurfacing in Shippensburg Borough, and Shippensburg and Southampton townships, $3.5 million; and
• I-81 resurfacing in Southampton, Shippensburg, South Newton, and Penn townships, $26.5 million.
Districtwide Projects
• A districtwide line painting project covering interstates and other high-volume roadways in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties, $1.3 million;
• Raised pavement marking project on state highways in Adams, Lancaster, Perry, and York counties, $259,323; and
• Bridge maintenance work on various bridges in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties from 2018-2022, $6.8 million.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting 511PA. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.
