The original structure of the bridge is now 63 years old and is reaching the end of its serviceable lifespan.

​The South Bridge currently carries more than 125,000 vehicles over the Susquehanna River every day and is the busiest in the Harrisburg area.

​Construction of the South Bridge project is estimated to begin in 2026. The East Shore Section 2 & 3 improvement projects are anticipated to move forward on their current schedules.

Yes, the I-83 South Bridge project includes the replacement, widening and lengthening of the South 3rd Street bridge over I-83 in Lemoyne. To accommodate I-83's proposed wider design the South 3rd Street bridge would be lengthened so the additional lanes can fit under the bridge. This South 3rd Street bridge would also be widened to improve bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the area.

No. The new South 3rd Street bridge will span over the railroad as well as I-83.  The new southbound I-83 exit ramp for Lemoyne will bridge over the railroad, and the I-83 mainline will span the railroads running parallel to the Susquehanna River on both the east and west shores, so no railroad relocation will be required for the South Bridge project.

As a part of the Environmental Assessment for the project, consideration was given to including a bicycle and pedestrian facility on the South Bridge. Due to a variety of challenges, there will not be a bicycle and pedestrian facility included on the bridge. As part of the South Bridge project, bikes and pedestrians will be accommodated on the South 3rd Street Bridge in Lemoyne which will be widened from three lanes with narrow shoulders and a single sidewalk to four lanes with five-foot shoulders and sidewalks on both sides. While bicycle and pedestrian facilities will not be included on South Bridge, there are other programmed projects along Bike Route J to improve bicycle and pedestrian accommodations throughout the local network. These projects include the Lemoyne Bottleneck Project, the Market Street Bridge Project, and the Streetscape Improvements along South Third Street in Lemoyne. These programmed projects would offer a better quality of experience for pedestrians and bicyclists, with lower traffic volumes and speeds that would provide facilities that are perceived as safe by users of all ages and abilities. You can learn more in the Bicycle & Pedestrian memo here​.

The project team is developing the design and examining the impacts of the proposed design. You can see more information on the proposed design in the EA and Virtual Public meeting here. The comment period for the virtual public meeting/EA ended on November 16, 2023.