Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project

[PAHighways]

Elected Officials "˜Optimistic' on Route 15 Bypass Funding

[briantroutman]

This thread is old, but it seems to be closest to an official CSVT discussion–every other related discussion is wrapped up in fictional I-83 extension proposals or the like.

According to a recent Sun-Gazette article (you should be able to get around their paywall here), the contract for construction of the Susquehanna River bridge at Winfield will be awarded this year (and I assume construction beginning next year at the earliest).

Construction on the southern section (from the US 522 interchange stub to the bridge) will begin in 2019 and last through 2024. Completion of the northern section (bridge to PA 147) is slated for a 2021 completion.

I don't understand why the southern portion should be delayed–or more importantly, why it would be constructed after the northern portion. Since the largest traffic bottleneck there is the commercial strip running through Shamokin Dam and Hummels Wharf, the partially completed southern portion could serve as a bypass from Selinsgrove to Winfield while work connecting it to PA 147 continues.

[froggie]

My guess is that, assuming they're opening the bridge upon its completion, they're trying to avoid creating a new bottleneck on PA 147.

[qguy]

Last Tuesday evening (16 Jun), I attended a public meeting for the southern section. It included the usual info boards and whatnot. (I would've posted some of the pics I took but they aren't much different from the diagrams on the CSVT website: www.csvt.com.)

Anyhoo, I spoke with the Community Relations Coordinator (PennDOT-speak for public affairs person) for PennDOT's District 3-0. He said that the first contract for the northern section (for construction of the bridge over the Susquehanna River) will be advertised or awarded (I forget which) in August of this year and construction will probably begin in mid-October.

The bad news is that the bridge construction will take another four construction seasons (not including this year's). The worse news is that the entire project isn't projected to be completed until 2024!

More of the projected schedule (which has not yet been posted to the website):

     Northern section
          -- Susquehanna River bridge construction: late 2015—mid-2020
          -- Earthwork and construction of non-river structures: mid-2016—late 2020
          -- Construction of pavement: early 2020—late 2021

     Southern section
          -- Construction of earthwork: mid-2019—mid-2022
          -- Construction of structures: mid-2020—mid-2023
          -- Construction of pavement: mid-2022—mid-2024
          -- Construction of the PA 61 Connector: early 2023—late 2024

Don't ask me why they've stretched the contracts out so long. Nine years to construct 7.2 miles of freeway. The local residents have been begging for this project for decades. The word I heard most often uttered by the attendees of the public meeting: "finally."

[froggie]

It's an expensive project, and PennDOT likely doesn't have the funding to do it all in one fell swoop.  Hence why it's getting dragged out.

[iBallasticwolf2]

Better than it not getting built. Although it does seem like a very long contract. Assuming this goes out as planned though.

[ARMOURERERIC]

IIRC, it is a $750M project

[CentralPAGal]

IIRC, it is a $750M project

The number I've heard is about $615 million (not that its much less). Maybe you're thinking of stuff related to 322? Because I've seen $750 million in association with that.

[briantroutman]

It's an expensive project, and PennDOT likely doesn't have the funding to do it all in one fell swoop.  Hence why it's getting dragged out.

I fully understand that part, but as I suggested in my earlier post, the southern portion (Winfield to Selinsgrove) could serve as very useful bypass of the busy commercial strip through Shamokin Dam even before the Susquehanna River bridge and connection to PA 147 are completed.

Having pondered the future of that unused freeway stub since I was maybe eight years old, it's definitely a relief to finally see progress, but I think PennDOT could structure the schedule even more efficiently.

[qguy]

IIRC, it is a $750M project

The number I've heard is about $615 million (not that its much less). Maybe you're thinking of stuff related to 322? Because I've seen $750 million in association with that.

The Apr 2014 information on the CSVT website identifies a $615 mil price tag. Of course, it may have changed since then.

[ARMOURERERIC]

Actually, I think you are correct.  As for the phasing, I think they want to get the part that is most likely to be objected to, at the last moment, by enviros, dine and out of the way, plus if you look at how the southern section ends at US 15 as an independent section, it would cause alot of problems with US 11 through traffic.

[qguy]

PennDOT District 3 has updated the CSVT website. It's no longer as stale as year-old bread. Much better.

     www.csvt.com

[jpi]

Thanks for all of the updates, I do forsee a road meet in the future for this project. :-)

[CentralPAGal]

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2015/09/low_bid_for_long_upstate_susqu.html

Well, the bids are coming in on the bridge. And, according to the article, they're lower than expected, with $155.6 million being the lowest.

[RevZimmerman]

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/05/forty_years_later_road_to_nowh.html

Harrisburg Patriot-News ran an article today about the CSVT project starting up. A few details about the project are included, but nothing seemed truly new other than some pictures of earth moving.

[jpi]

Beat me to the punch ,I read about this article today in the Patriot News. I am looking at another central PA based road meet focused on this project, possibly 2018 or 19, on top of the Shrewsbury based meet that I am already in the planning stages on. Both meets will be separate.

[74/171FAN]

     Northern section
          -- Earthwork and construction of non-river structures: mid-2016—late 2020

The work for this contracted portion of the CSVT started today.

[briantroutman]

From the press release:

This two-year project includes the construction of seven new bridges and 2.5 cubic yards of earthwork.

A couple of guys with shovels should be able to take care of that in an hour or so.

[74/171FAN]

From the press release:

This two-year project includes the construction of seven new bridges and 2.5 cubic yards of earthwork.

A couple of guys with shovels should be able to take care of that in an hour or so.

The press release for the bid shows 2.5 million cubic yards.  I am unsure how I did not catch that on my own.   

[Alps]

From the press release:

This two-year project includes the construction of seven new bridges and 2.5 cubic yards of earthwork.

A couple of guys with shovels should be able to take care of that in an hour or so.

Union rules. They need a week with overtime pay and two supervisors.

[74/171FAN]

Well the alignment of the southern section of the CSVT is being affected by a change in route due to fly ash basins.

[Roadsguy]

I noticed on PennDOT's iTMS page that the entire CSVT alignment, including the part that will exclusively be PA 147, is designated SR 6015. The PA 61 connector is similarly designated SR 6061. This is strange, considering that the under-construction segment of US 219 in Somerset County isn't marked this way (though its interchange ramps are).

[jemacedo9]

I noticed on PennDOT's iTMS page that the entire CSVT alignment, including the part that will exclusively be PA 147, is designated SR 6015. The PA 61 connector is similarly designated SR 6061. This is strange, considering that the under-construction segment of US 219 in Somerset County isn't marked this way (though its interchange ramps are).

PennDOT uses a temporary SR 6--- designation for roads under construction, or brand new open segments, until they are given a permanent designation.  So...the oddity is that the US 219 part being built isn't given a SR 6219 designation.

[briantroutman]

Well the alignment of the southern section of the CSVT is being affected by a change in route due to fly ash basins.

Another public meeting on the same issue will be held in Selinsgrove on May 25th.

I didn't have an opportunity to stop and take pictures, but about a week ago, I drove through the area south of Winfield where the CSVT's northern interchange with existing US 15 will be sited, and a remarkable amount of earthwork has already taken place. I found this video on YouTube where someone did a drone flyover of what I saw from the ground. (Warning: unnecessary audio)

[cpzilliacus]

(Warning: unnecessary audio)

Hey, at least the second music track on the video was from A Flock of Seagulls!