Harrisburg Project Manager Percy Bullock announced the full opening of the new two-way N. 2nd Street.
A months-long project to convert N. 2nd Street from one- to two-way traffic is finally coming to an end.
Starting on Thursday, Oct. 13 at 12 p.m., Harrisburg will open the roadway, from Forster to Division streets, to two-way traffic, the city announced at a press conference on Thursday.
“This is exciting,” said Percy Bullock, project manager for the city. “The residents themselves are very pleased.”
The $5.2 million project officially broke ground in May 2021, with the goal of reversing a decades-old decision to make the street one-way to accommodate suburban commuters. Over the years, Bullock said, the corridor “has been a race track.”
Additionally, to help slow traffic, the city constructed three roundabouts at Verbeke, Reily and Kelker streets, replacing traffic lights. They have also reduced the speed limit from 35 to 25 mph and added raised pedestrian crosswalks.
A new roundabout at N. 2nd and Verbeke streets.
While motorists adjust to the new traffic pattern, the Harrisburg Police Bureau will help monitor the traffic flow, according to Bullock. But overall, he said, the changes will just require some getting used to.
“It just takes some time and patience,” he said.
Over the year of construction, the project has faced several delays, pushing back the completion timeline. Originally, the roadway, from Maclay to Division streets was supposed to go two-ways in June, with Forster to Maclay transitioning in the fall. Last month, Harrisburg made the decision to move the entire corridor to two-ways at once.
The project is finally coming to a close, with only a few small tasks left to complete, such as pavement sealing and painting lines on crosswalks, Bullock explained.
The N. 2nd Street conversion is part of the city’s Vision Zero initiative to reduce pedestrian fatalities.
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