​Lane restrictions expected to be in place into next week.

Harrisburg, PA – Motorists traveling on Interstate 83 near Harrisburg should expect congestion and significant delays through the ongoing reconstruction project east of the city. PennDOT urges motorists to avoid the area.

A PennDOT contractor is restricting traffic to a single lane in both directions of I-83 from south of Union Deposit Road (Exit 48) to the I-81/I-83 split to shift traffic to the newly constructed portion of the highway.

Southbound I-83 will be restricted to a single lane until the evening of Tuesday, December 22. Northbound I-83 will be restricted to a single lane until 3 PM Wednesday, December 23.

There will be major delays while lane restrictions are in place. Motorists should seek alternate routes. Those approaching the corridor should watch for stopped or slow-moving traffic.

Once the shift is complete, southbound I-83 traffic will be placed on the newly constructed outside lanes. There will be stop conditions at the westbound Route 22 ramp to southbound I-83, and from Union Deposit Road to southbound I-83.

Northbound I-83 will be shifted to the newly constructed outside lanes from the southern end of the project (Mile 47.5) to just north of Exit 48, where traffic will experience a major shift back to the inside lanes where traffic will remain through the northern end of the project.

This long-term shift will last until late spring or early summer and will allow the contractor to access and begin demolishing two bridges over the winter while the northbound section of the project is being completed.

The ramp from Union Deposit Road to northbound I-83 will remain in a stop condition.

This work is part of the $104,747,344 interstate reconstruction contract that was awarded to J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Chester County, and includes widening and rebuilding a 2.77-mile section of I-83 east of the City of Harrisburg from just south of Exit 48 for Union Deposit Road, through Exit 50 for U.S. 22 (Colonial Park/Progress), to Exit 51 for Interstate 81.

The structure work on the project includes the replacement and widening of the existing mainline bridges at Valley Road as well as three other locations, widening the existing culvert at Slotznick Run, and construction of new retaining walls as well as new sound walls in the residential areas.

The project is scheduled to wrap up in 2021.

Travelers are reminded to be alert for these operations, to obey work zone signs, and to use caution when driving through work zones for their safety, as well as for the safety of the road crews.

Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

Subscribe to PennDOT news in Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York counties at www.penndot.gov/District8.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles 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 860 traffic cameras, 103 of which are in the Midstate.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

MEDIA CONTACT: Dave Thompson 717-418-50188