Harrisburg drivers will have to dodge some key street closures, as infrastructure projects are shutting down portions of two well-traveled routes.
Capital Region Water today shut down Market Street between Cameron and N. 13th Street to repair two sewer mains. That portion of road will remain closed through November, said Andrew Bliss, CRW’s community outreach manager.
Bliss said that traffic will be detoured to Paxton Street (see map), though sidewalks will remain open. The work is needed to replace and reline portions of two sewer pipes, Bliss said.
Up Cameron Street, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has revised its scheduled to replace the Herr Street Bridge that runs over Paxton Creek. The bridge replacement now will take place starting Sept. 14, continuing for about 10 days, which will close Herr Street between Cameron Street and N. 7th Street.
Previously, the road closure was slated for Sept. 7 to 17.
A detour will direct traffic around the work zone using Cameron Street, Maclay Street and 7th Street. A signed detour for pedestrians will use Cameron Street, Market Street, 5th Street and 7th Street.
Work on this project has already begun, with some lane closures. However, the actual bridge replacement and complete road closure now won’t occur until Sept. 14, according to PennDOT.
Meanwhile, PennDOT also announced today that work has begun to clear areas along the southbound and northbound lanes of I-83 near Valley Road, Locust Lane, Megoulas Boulevard and Londonderry Road in preparation for mainline interstate and structure widening in Lower Paxton Township.
This work marks the start of the $104.7 million interstate reconstruction contract that was awarded on June 26 to Atglen-Pa.-based J.D. Eckman and includes widening and rebuilding a 2.77-mile section of I-83 east 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. The entire project is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.
Work this fall will focus on preparations to widen the highway along the outside of the current alignment for the additional northbound and southbound lanes on I-83, construct retaining walls, and begin work to widen the mainline structures, followed by the reconstruction of the existing lanes in the middle. The initial two-thirds of the work will be conducted off alignment with minimal impact to mainline traffic.
Two lanes of traffic in each direction of I-83 will be maintained during daylight hours throughout the project, but traffic may be reduced to single lanes during nighttime hours, according to PennDOT.
