I-83 East Shore Section 1

An early action project that PennDOT has programmed for design and construction is the I-83 / PA 581 Interchange Bottleneck Safety Project. Routine commuters on the Capital Beltway tend to agree that the location most consistent for back-ups and crash problems is the I-83 / PA 581 Interchange, commonly known as the York Split. As commuters on northbound I-83 are aware, most traffic stays on northbound I-83 and crosses the John Harris Bridge to Harrisburg and Dauphin County, as opposed to less traffic going westbound on PA 581. The congestion and safety situation is exacerbated by drivers that use the left lane (which is designated for westbound PA 581) to bypass slower I-83 northbound traffic, then shift into the right lane to follow I-83. This abrupt lane changing is a factor in creating sudden braking episodes that often results in rear-end collisions, frequently involving more than two vehicles.

The peak of the back-ups and associated crashes typically extends from around 6:30 AM to around 8:30 AM, although as yearly traffic volumes grow the peak period will continue to expand as drivers leave earlier or later to avoid most of the delays. The back-ups typically extend to the York County line (at the Yellow Breeches Creek) and beyond, often reaching the PA Turnpike Interchange. The northbound back-ups also are becoming worse during the afternoon commute. Concerning crashes, a large volume of collisions occur at relatively low speeds, and since they do not involve injuries or towed vehicles with police intervention, they are not reportable crashes. As a result, the majority of crashes are not reported, so the crash statistics are unavailable. Another frequent site of rear-end collisions is at the southbound I-83 on-ramp from PA 581 eastbound. There is an extremely short acceleration lane because of the limiting Lowther Street Bridge opening, and combined with limited sight distance, results in frequent collisions when the drivers find out too late that the vehicle in front of them has not moved into the travel lane.

Northbound I-83 traffic in the morning peak period typically backs up beyond Limekiln Road, a distance of two miles.

This chronic congestion and safety situation at this interchange has resulted in PennDOT taking steps to correct the main problems with an early action safety solution, which is not the total interchange reconstruction featured in the I-83 Master Plan, but instead one that can be designed and constructed in the near future using available roadway funds. The process has already begun. In 2009, PennDOT closed the Brandt Street on-ramp that, even with low traffic volumes, caused operational problems of vehicles abruptly accelerating and changing lanes. The ramp has been gated and is available only to emergency vehicles. PennDOT is coordinating with the emergency service providers in the surrounding municipalities during the design process to assure that the access that is proposed for the early action project will meet their needs.

The Brandt Avenue ramp to I-83 northbound and PA 581 westbound was closed in 2009. The Lowther Street Bridge over I-83 will be replaced with a wider bridge to accommodate more lanes.

The main component of the proposed project is to maintain two continuous lanes of traffic on I-83 northbound through the interchange.

Click to view preliminary project design concept

An additional lane will be added to I-83 northbound
The Lowther Street Bridge over I-83 will be widened to allow more lanes on I-83
Ramp modifications will occur at various locations
Intersection improvements will occur along Lowther Street

Click to view existing and proposed local ramp access

There are not anticipated to be any displacements of residences or commercial facilities as a result of this project, although minor property acquisitions will be required to accommodate the additional lanes.

Preliminary design and environmental clearance have been completed with FHWA approval of the environmental document, a Categorical Exclusion Evaluation (CEE) Level 2, on June 15, 2011.

Schedule of Project Activities:

Final Design is currently underway and the anticipated schedule is for Design Field View and Point of Access approval to occur in fall 2011. The Design Field View is the review and approval of design work completed to date, and allows the start of activities such as the acquisition of right-of-way. The Point of Access Study is required when access changes are proposed to a limited access, Interstate roadway.

This project will be completed under two construction contracts: one for the replacement of the Lowther Street Bridge over I-83 and another for the I-83 mainline improvements, which will include the addition of a northbound lane. This separation of the construction contracts will allow completion of all the proposed safety improvements a year earlier than if bid as one contract.

The proposed schedule for the Lowther Street Bridge Replacement:

The proposed schedule for the I-83 Mainline Improvements:

A public meeting was held for the I-83 / PA581 Interchange Bottleneck Safety Project on April 13, 2011
(Click here for meeting highlights)

(Click here for public meeting comments and responses)