I-83 Improvements

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The Environmental Assessment for East Shore Section 3 is now available for review through Tuesday, December 20, 2022.

https://www.i-83beltway.com/projects/environmental-assessment.php

PennDOT - District 8 News: PennDOT Invites Public to Comment East Shore Section 3 Project Environmental Assessment

[Gnutella]

Glad to see this happening as well. I've always been curious as to why Pennsylvania has so many underdesigned/outdated highways and interchanges for so long.

Because many Interstates in Pennsylvania were built in the 1940s and 1950s, and grandfathered into the system. The fact that Pennsylvania has almost as many miles of roads to maintain as Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont combined doesn't help either, because resources get spread thinner.

If we're talking about state-maintained system mileage rather than total mileage, it makes me wonder which kinds of roads PA maintains that the likes of NY leaves up to municipalities.

The "Pinchot roads," basically. Pennsylvania took over and paved most of its rural and farm roads in the 1930s, when Gifford Pinchot was the governor. This created a safer road network, but also doubled the size of the road network that the Commonwealth had to maintain.

Unfortunately, it's these "Pinchot roads" that drag Pennsylvania down on these "worst roads" lists today, because the Interstates, U.S. routes and signed state routes in the Commonwealth are mostly in excellent or good condition, even if some segments are functionally obsolete. The unsigned state routes, however, are mostly in fair or poor condition.

My guess is that PennDOT prioritizes road maintenance based on traffic volume.

[Rothman]

Heh.  I am not so sure unsigned routes are to blame for PA's perennial bottom-feeding ranking in conditions.

[Gnutella]

Heh.  I am not so sure unsigned routes are to blame for PA's perennial bottom-feeding ranking in conditions.

Well I am.

[Rothman]

Heh.  I am not so sure unsigned routes are to blame for PA's perennial bottom-feeding ranking in conditions.

Well I am.

Um...your graph doesn't say anything about signed versus unsigned.  PA has a ton of signed routes off the NHS.

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Latest update has been posted:  https://www.i-83beltway.com/projects/east-shore-section-3.php

Current Project Status, March 2023 Update

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the SR 0083, Section 079 Widening and Reconstruction Project. This determination is based on the Environmental Assessment (EA) document (November 2022), the supporting technical reports (as listed in the FONSI), review of the comments received during the EA availability period and the responses to those comments, and the mitigation commitments included in the EA and the FONSI.

FHWA approved the EA for public availability on November 17, 2022. On November 18, 2022, PennDOT conducted the following outreach efforts to announce the EA document availability and the availability to request a Public Hearing:

Notification to federal, state and local public officials, and to Native American Tribal Nations
Announcement via a PennDOT press release, Newswires EIN, and various social media outlets
Email notification to those who had subscribed to receive updates via the project website
Fliers (in both English and Spanish) posted at 19 locations throughout the project area including restaurants, stores, businesses, and municipal offices
Email notification to all families with children who attend the Foose School in Harrisburg
Advertisement in the Patriot-News and Pennlive.com (online version of the Patriot News) also occurred.

The EA public comment period, and the opportunity to request a Public Hearing officially began on November 21, 2022 and ended on December 23, 2022, with requests for a public hearing due by December 5, 2022. During the comment period, in addition to the EA being available on the project website www.i-83 beltway.com, hard copies of the EA were available for public review, during regular business hours, at PennDOT's Central Office and the Federal Highway Administration Office, in Harrisburg. Hard copies of the EA were also made available for public review at the following locations:

Paxtang Borough Municipal Building
Swatara Township Municipal Building
Kline Library
McCormick Riverfront Library
No requests for a formal Public Hearing were received; therefore, a public hearing was not conducted for the SR 0083, Section 079 Widening and Reconstruction Project.

All comments received during the comment period have been reviewed and addressed and are included as a part of the FONSI Package. FHWA issued the FONSI on March 2, 2023. The FHWA approval of the FONSI and overall FONSI Package, are available through the links at the upper right.

The first of the two construction contracts is planned to be bid in the Summer of 2023, and construction will begin later in the Fall of 2023. Please see attached Sequence of Construction Contracts here for more details.

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PennDOT - District 8 News: Bridge Replacement to Begin on Eberts Lane (T-854) Culvert in York County

In addition to replacing the Eberts Lane bridge, the contract includes constructing an additional span to the existing 3-lane, 2-span bridge on Sherman Street (Route 1033) spanning Interstate 83 and Mill Creek. That work is expected to begin next year.

This will allow Mill Creek to be relocated so Interstate 83 can be widened.

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The Environmental Assessment for the South Bridge is now available for review through Thursday, November 16, 2023.

https://www.penndot.pa.gov/RegionalOffices/district-8/ConstructionsProjectsAndRoadwork/DauphinCty/Pages/I-83-South-Bridge-EA-Open-House-Fall2023.aspx

PennDOT - District 8 News: PennDOT Invites Public to Comment on I-83 South Bridge Project

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October 2023 updates have been posted for I-83 East Shore Sections 2 and 3. 

Section 2:

Current Project Status, October 2023 Update

On October 2, 2023, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the Re-Evaluation Environmental Assessment (EA) for the East Shore Section 2 project. The approval states that that there have been no significant changes in the proposed project, or in the affected environment, anticipated impacts, or proposed mitigation measures since the original Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) recorded June 10, 2020.

Demolition of structures that have been acquired by the Department is ongoing.

Section 3:

Current Project Status, October 2023 Update

In August 2023, PennDOT opened bids for Contract 1 of East Shore Section 3. Notice to proceed was given to the contractor in October of 2023 with construction estimated to be completed in 2027. Contract 1 includes widening of portions of the I-83 roadway, construction of two overhead bridges (29th Street and 19th Street), construction of the new Cameron Street Interchange, and roadway improvements along the Cameron Street, 19th Street and 29th Street corridors.

Demolition of structures that were acquired by the Department is complete.

EDIT:  I just looked at the signage plans for East Shore Section 3 on ECMS, and the new exit for PA 230 (at PA 230 instead of 13th St) will still be Exit 44A.  That may be a nightmare for a few list files in Travel Mapping.

EDIT 2:  PennDOT - District 8 News: Work to Begin on I-83 Reconstruction Project in Harrisburg Region in Dauphin County

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(Also for PA 230)  PennDOT - District 8 News: Blasting Planned Along I-83 in the Area of Cameron Street and 13th Street in Harrisburg

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PennDOT - District 8 News: Nighttime Rolling Stops Planned on I-83 in the Area of 29th Street in Harrisburg

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PennDOT - District 8 News: Federal Highway Administration Issues a Finding of No Significant Impact for the PennDOT I-83 South Bridge Project

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PennDOT - District 8 News: Rolling Stops Tomorrow Night on I-83 in the Area of 29th Street in Harrisburg