PennDOT announces long-term bridge closure as part of Capital Beltway project

Map of the detour during the 29th Street bridge closure.

A Harrisburg bridge soon will close for over a year, due to the years-long I-83 project.

PennDOT announced on Wednesday that the 29^th Street bridge, spanning I-83, will close from the evening of July 8 through Nov. 12, 2025, as work is done to replace it.

The project is the first of two contracts that are part of PennDOT’s east shore portion of the I-83 Capital Beltway Project, which includes widening and reconstructing portions of the highway and reconstructing overhead bridges at 29th and 19th streets. PennDOT also will construct a new Cameron Street Interchange, remove the 13^th Street interchange and make roadway improvements along the Cameron Street, 19th Street and 29th Street corridors.

During the bridge closure, truck, car and pedestrian detours will be in place. Cars will use Derry Street, 19^th Street and Paxton Street. Trucks will use Derry Street, Eisenhower Boulevard and Paxton Street.

Pedestrians will use Derry Street, S. Paxtang Avenue/City Park Drive, Parkview Lane, 32^nd Street and Sycamore Street.

Night work will begin Sunday, July 14. The contractor will remove the beams and deck on the section of the bridge that spans the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. There will be lane closures in both directions of I-83 in the area of 29^th Street. PennDOT expects that portion of the replacement to take two to three weeks to complete.

New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company, Inc., of New Enterprise, Pa., serves as the contractor for the first portion of the $154.6 million east shore project.

PennDOT expects that all work on this first portion of the Capital Beltway project to be completed by Oct. 12, 2027.

The second east shore contract is expected to be under construction from 2025 to 2028 and includes widening and reconstruction on I-83, construction of the 13^th Street bridge and approaches and construction of the 17^th Street interchange and widening 17^th Street, according to PennDOT.

For more information about the East Shore Section 3 and the I-83 Capital Beltway Project, click here.

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