Union Street Bridge Closure Starts MONDAY
PennDOT left-cmyk

Traffic Advisory
September 23, 2016

Repairs to Two Damaged Bridges over Route 283 in Dauphin County Will Involve Bridge Closures
Union Street Bridge and Newberry Road Bridge were damaged by over-height load on Route 283 last May.

Harrisburg, PA – The bridge that carries Union Street over Route 283 in Lower Swatara Township, Dauphin County, will be closed to all traffic starting Monday, September 26, for a construction project to repair damage to the bridge. The bridge carries nearly 7,600 vehicles on a daily basis. Southbound traffic on Union Street will be detoured by way of Fulling Mill Road, Eisenhower Boulevard, and eastbound Route 283. Northbound traffic on Union Street will be detoured by way of eastbound Route 283, Vine Street, and westbound Route 283.

It should take about a month for the contractor to remove the damaged beam on the bridge and replace it with a new beam, repair the concrete bridge deck, and replace the parapet. On the nights when the damaged beam is removed and when the new beam is installed, motorists on eastbound Route 283 should expect to encounter short-term traffic stoppages or rolling road blocks while these operations are underway, which will occur between midnight and 5 AM. PennDOT will announce in advance when these operations will occur.

When the Union Street bridge has been repaired and reopened, the contractor will then close the Newberry Road bridge over Route 283 in Londonderry Township to make similar repairs. This bridge, which carries about 700 vehicles a day, will also remain closed for about a month. Traffic on eastbound Route 283 will also be similarly affected, and PennDOT will announce the overnight traffic restrictions in advance.

Both bridges were damaged on May 1 last spring when the boom of an excavator carried on a trailer hauled by a truck on eastbound Route 283 struck them. The under-clearance for the Union Street bridge is 14 feet 10 inches; for the Newberry Road bridge, the under-clearance is 14 feet 5 inches. Any load higher than 13 feet 6 inches requires a hauling permit from PennDOT.

PennDOT has contracted with Clearwater Construction, Inc. of Mercer, Pennsylvania to replace the fascia beams of both bridges and conduct deck and parapet repairs at a cost of $407,050. The repairs to both bridges should be finished by early December.