Interstate 83

Interstate 83 is an older freeway, built between 1950 and 1971 and signed solely as U.S. 111 until 1960 and exclusively as I-83 in 1963.¹ As such, the age of the road has necessitated improvements over the years. One project undertaken was the elimination of "Dead Man's Curve", where Interstate 83 split with Business Loop I-83 south of York and north of Leader Heights. Work was undertaken between mid May 2003 and December 6, 2006. The $57.9 million project affected two miles of I-83 and realigned the freeway at the split with Business 83 by removing a wye interchange with left exit ramps and replacing it with a directional T interchange.² The new exchange provides access to South George Street from I-83 south and to I-83 north from Business 83 south.

Interstate 83 Pennsylvania Guides

• Business Loop I-83
• North - York Vicinity
• North - Harrisburg Vicinity
• South - Harrisburg Vicinity
• South - York Vicinity

An $11.3 million project replaced the North Street Bridge at the Loganville interchange and lengthened the on and off-ramps. Work was underway in 2012 and continued through November 2013. The new overpass at Exit 10 is 17 feet 2 inches, well over the federal design standard and the 14 feet 4 inch height of its predecessor.³ This project followed bridge replacements in Shrewsbury Township for Windy Hill, Stewartstown and Plank Roads. Those spans, built in 1958, were replaced by November 2011.⁴

The York Split, the partition of Interstate 83 and PA 581 (Harrisburg Expressway) at Lemoyne, underwent an upgrade to eliminate a bottleneck for northbound traffic as part of the overall I-83 Capital Beltway Project. Work between May 4, 2012 and May 2013 replaced the 1952-built Lowther Street overpass, which precluded widening of I-83 below. The new span accommodates four mainline lanes and three ramps.⁵ Work that went to bid on June 20, 2013 expanded I-83 northbound by one lane from the New Cumberland exit northward to the York split and redesigned the interchange with both PA 581 and Lowther Street. The entrance ramp from Brandt Avenue to I-83 north closed on March 25, 2009 and ramps on the west side of I-83 from Lowther Street were also redesigned. A loop ramp from Lowther Street west onto I-83 south was removed by 1999 as well. A new sweeping ramp eastward from Interstate 83 north to Lowther Street at Maple Street, replaced the Highland Park ramps from the Harrisburg Expressway. Exit 42 was also removed to accommodate a redesign of Lowther Street east of 3rd Street. Work extended through 2015.

A $91.9 million project previously outlined to start in 2015 redesigns the diamond interchange joining I-83 with PA 124 (Mt. Rose Avenue) into a six-ramp parclo and expands Mt. Rose Avenue to five overall lanes. Work also included the construction of new bridges over Mill Creek, adding costs to the overall project. 40 to 50 acres of land was acquired for the redesign.⁶ The new ramps from I-83 to PA 124 were opened to traffic in Fall 2017. A number of delays however pushed back completion of the work, from utility relocation, redesign of a bridge foundation, and permit modifications. An extension was granted to the contractor by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) from June 2018 to November 12, 2018. However additional problems plagued Cherry Hill Construction, Inc. of Jessup, Maryland, including a high turnover of employees, resulting in further delay and $5,825 in daily fines for the contractor.⁷ Additional issues pushed work from a potential December 2019 completion to the third quarter of 2020.⁸

scenes

PA 74 (S Queen Street) meets I-83 at a six-ramp parclo interchange in York Township. I-83 encircles York to the east with six interchanges serving the city. Pictured here is the northbound on-ramp to East York and Harrisburg. 06/27/10

PA 74 expands into four lanes from I-83 northward through the commercialized stretch to Springwood Road. 06/27/10

A left turn connects S Queen Street north with Interstate 83 south to Shrewsbury and Baltimore, Maryland. 06/27/10

PA 181 (N George Street) northbound at the east end of PA 238 (Church Road) in Emigsville. Church Road climbs westward 0.8 miles to meet I-83 at Exit 24. 10/13/04

Replaced by 2008, this state named shield was posted at the southbound entrance ramp to I-83 from PA 238 (Church Road) west at Exit 24. PA 238 continues one quarter mile to Susquehanna Trail (old U.S. 111) near Roundtown. 10/13/04

Photo Credits:

10/13/04, 06/27/10 by AARoads

Connect with:
Interstate 76
Interstate 81
Interstate 283
U.S. 30
Route 581

Page Updated 01-14-2020.