Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

More disruptions ahead as 3rd Street project concludes in Midtown Harrisburg

Construction work continued around the Broad Street Market today.

Harrisburg residents should brace themselves for one more round of disruptions in the heart of Midtown, as the 3rd Street corridor project comes to an end in the area.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse said today that the street will be milled and paved during a one-week period starting this Thursday, Sept. 26. This work will result in temporary, rolling road closures, as well as substantial parking restrictions.

“This last part will be disruptive since they have to shut down the street to mill and pave,” he said.

According to the construction schedule, milling will begin on Thursday at Boyd Street, an alley between Reily and Harris streets. It will continue south through Friday along the corridor to Forster Street.

Paving is slated to start on Monday, Sept. 30, and conclude on Thursday, Oct. 3. This schedule is dependent upon favorable, dry weather, said city Engineer Wayne Martin.

Martin said that motorists still can park overnight on the street once work has concluded for the day. However, all cars must be removed from the corridor by early in the morning, when work re-starts.

“If there’s no work, you can park there as long as you’re gone by 6:30 a.m.,” Martin said.

Cars that remain in the work area will be towed, he said.

The milling and paving affects not only N. 3rd Street, but adjacent side streets near the intersections, including portions of Reily, Basin, Calder, Sayford, Verbeke, Cumberland, Herr, Boas and Union streets.

Notably, this work will affect the area around the Broad Street Market during market hours this week. Milling is expected to take place in front of the market on Thursday, Martin said. No work will take place on Saturday or Sunday.

The affected streets will not be closed the entire time, but only when work is taking place. Once milling has occurred, the streets will reopen to traffic until they are paved. Newly paved streets will take about three hours to dry and cure before reopening, Martin said.

The streets also will be lined and painted, but that work is slated for later in October.

This milling and paving work will mark the end of the 3rd Street corridor project for Midtown Harrisburg. In Uptown Harrisburg, the project has already concluded.

Last week, Papenfuse said that the project would continue into next year for the downtown area south of Forster Street because of work at the Harrisburg University building site at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets and because the city has received a grant to install electric vehicle charging stations in front of the State Museum. The city also plans to complete the sidewalk-widening project around the state Capitol on N. 3rd Street from North to State streets.

This work will have to be completed before 3rd Street can be milled and paved in the downtown area.

 

3rd Street Paving Plan Timeline, Midtown 

Sept. 26: Milling operations starting north (at Boyd Street) and moving south
Sept. 27: Continue milling operations
Sept. 30: Pave tie-ins (intersecting side streets) at Reily, Basin, Calder, Sayford, Verbeke, Cumberland, Herr, Boas and Union streets
Oct. 1: Scratch coarse (first paving layer) Boyd to Forster
Oct. 2: Pave wearing coarse (second paving layer) north to south
Oct. 3: Finish wearing coarse (completion expected around noon)

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