Demolition scheduled for the night of Saturday, August 24; Traffic will be detoured
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that a closure is planned the night of Saturday, August 24, on Interstate 83 between Exit 44B (19th Street) and Exit 45 (Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive) in the Harrisburg area so the 29th Street bridge spanning the interstate can be demolished. The bridge is slated for replacement as part of East Shore Section 3 of the I-83 Capital Beltway Project.
Traffic will be detoured. Additionally, there will be nighttime lane restrictions in both directions of I-83 for two weeks beginning this Sunday night (August 11) so the bridge can be prepped for demolition.
Weather permitting, left lane restrictions are expected to be implemented in both directions of I-83 between Exit 44B (19th Street) and Exit 45 (Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive).at 7:00 PM on Saturday, August 24. This will be followed by a full closure of the interstate in this area at 11:00 PM.
One lane of traffic is expected to be open in each direction of the interstate by 5:00 AM Sunday, August 25. All lanes are expected to be open by 8:00 AM.
A detour will be in place during the closure:
• Southbound I-83 traffic will take Exit 45 (Paxton Street/Bass Pro Drive) to Paxton Street, then proceed west on Paxton Street to 17th Street and the ramp to southbound I-83.
• Northbound traffic will exit at 19th Street, then take 19th Street south to Paxton Street, then Paxton Street east to Eisenhower Boulevard north to the ramp to northbound I-83.
Starting Sunday night, August 11, and running for approximately two weeks, there will be single lane closures on northbound and southbound I-83 in the area of 29th Street for prep work associated with the demolition. These restrictions will be in place nightly from 9:00 PM to 6:00 AM.
Motorists should be alert and drive with caution through the work zone.
This work is associated with the first of two contracts for East Shore Section 3 of the larger I-83 Capital Beltway Project. This contract includes widening and reconstructing portions of the I-83 roadway, construction of overhead bridges at 29th Street and 19th Street, construction of the new Cameron Street Interchange, removing the 13th Street interchange, and roadway improvements along the Cameron Street, 19th Street and 29th Street corridors.
There may be significant impacts to traffic during the life of this project, including traffic shifts, lane restrictions and road closures/detours. Advance notice will be issued prior to any major traffic impacts.
New Enterprise Stone and Lime Company, Inc., of New Enterprise, PA, is the contractor on this $154,627,000 project.
All work on this contract is expected to be completed by October 12, 2027.
The second East Shore Section 3 contract is expected to be under construction from 2025 to 2028 and includes widening and reconstruction on I-83, construction of the 13th Street bridge and approaches, and construction of the 17th Street interchange and widening 17th Street.
Motorists can check conditions on major roadways by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following local alerts on X.
Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry and York counties at PennDOT District 8.
Information about infrastructure in District 8, including completed work and significant projects, is available at District 8 Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at PennDOT Projects.
Follow PennDOT on X, and like the department on Facebook and Instagram.
Contact: Dave Thompson, dmthompson@pa.gov, 717-418-5018
###
