Aerial view of I-83 through Harrisburg (photo: PA Department of Transportation)
For years, we knew it was coming, and now it’s about to begin.
On Thursday, the PA Department of Transportation announced that the long-awaited I-83 reconstruction project through Harrisburg, expected to take about five years, will begin next week.
On Monday, weather permitting, the contractor, New Enterprise, Pa.-based New Enterprise Stone and Lime Co., will begin to erect long-term signage on northbound I-83 from the South Bridge to the Eisenhower Interchange, according to PennDOT.
The following week, barriers will be installed along the northbound shoulder, followed by utility and other preparatory work near Cameron Street and then northbound.
“There may be significant impacts to traffic during the life of this project, including traffic shifts, lane restrictions and road closures/detours,” PennDOT stated in a press release. “Advance notice will be issued prior to any major traffic impacts.”
The Harrisburg portion of the project includes widening of the highway from six to 10 lanes, plus reconstruction of interchanges and bridges along the route. Over the past few years, the commonwealth has condemned, purchased and razed many properties along the planned expansion route.
This first contract for the Harrisburg portion of the I-83 Capital Beltway Project, valued at $154.6 million, will include widening and reconstructing portions of the I-83 roadway, construction of overhead bridges at 29th Street and 19th Street, construction of the new Cameron Street Interchange, removing the 13th Street interchange, and roadway improvements along the Cameron Street, 19th Street and 29th Street corridors.
This contract is expected to be complete in October 2027.
A second contract will overlap the first, slated to run from 2025 to 2028. It will include widening and reconstruction on I-83, construction of the 13th Street bridge and approaches, and construction of the 17th Street interchange and widening 17th Street.
The I-83 master plan, valued at about $1 billion all in, includes future work on the west shore of the Susquehanna River, plus replacement of the South Bridge. The first part of the project, reconstruction of I-83 just east of Harrisburg, is complete.
For more information about the East Shore Section 3 and the I-83 Capital Beltway Project, visit I83 Capital Beltway- Home (i-83beltway.com).
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