I-83 widening project: Problem found at bridge site. Here's the updated schedule

Commuters will see a lot of roadwork on major routes in southcentral Pennsylvania in the coming years as the Interstate 83 widening and the Veterans Memorial Bridge rehabilitation will be happening at the same time .

The state Department of Transportation has been working on plans to widen I-83 from four to six lanes between North George and East Market streets in the York area. Some early projects have been completed, and other work remains underway.

Construction on the highway itself is still a couple of years away, according to PennDOT's latest schedule. The first segment to be redone is expected to start in 2026.

What's the latest schedule for the I-83 widening project?

Work on the mainline of I-83 will be broken into three segments, according to PennDOT spokesman Dave Thompson.

They are:

First project: One mile of the highway roughly from Eberts Lane to near the Route 30 interchange will be reconstructed and widened. The bridges over the Codorus Creek, Mill Creek, Loucks Mill Road and the Norfolk Southern Rail Yard will be replaced. A new off ramp from I-83 North to Route 30 East will be built. The work is slated for 2026 through 2028.

Second project: Two miles of I-83 between the Route 30 and North George Street interchanges will be worked on. The bridges over Route 30 and North George Street will be replaced. Exit 21 (Route 30) will be partially reconstructed while Exit 22 (North George Street) will be fully rebuilt. About three-quarters of a mile of North George Street also will be rehabilitated. Construction is planned for 2028 through 2030.

Third project: About 1.8 miles of the mainline from the Eberts Lane area to south of the Market Street interchange will be done. The work includes reconstruction of Exit 19 and bridge replacements over East Market Street, a Norfolk Southern Rail Line, and on the ramps over Mill Creek. The construction is planned for 2030 through 2033.

Problem discovered on Sherman Street bridge work

Replacement of the Eberts Lane bridge over Mill Creek wrapped up in July, PennDOT says.

Crews now are working on adding a third span to the Sherman Street bridge over Mill Creek, and PennDOT recently discovered a problem that could result in a significant cost increase, construction manager Terry Kohler said.

While doing exploratory drilling at an abutment, crews found that the rock is significantly deeper than expected. That would require additional pile length and the use of tubular steel casings in predrilled holes for the piles.

PennDOT is working with the design team to explore alternative footer designs for the abutment and the pier, he said.

The finding is not expected to have an impact on the timeline for the widening of the highway.

The department, however, is seeking a time extension for issues encountered with contaminated water. The work now is expected to be finished in July 2025, Kohler said.

Relocation and restoration of Mill Creek

One of the last remaining projects off of I-83 is the relocation and restoration of Mill Creek, which runs near the highway.

It involves constructing wetland mitigation sites.

That project is slated for 2026 through 2028.

Why the timing of the I-83 widening project has changed over time

PennDOT has several large projects planned for the I-83 corridor in York and Dauphin counties that will be ready for construction over six to eight years, Thompson said.

After evaluating the funding required for each one, PennDOT had to reorganize the projects to ensure that construction money would be available in any given year, he said.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: I-83 widening project: Problem found at bridge site. Here's the updated schedule