More than three and a half years and $57.9 million ago, work was just getting started on the realignment of Interstate 83 in York County between exits 14 and 16. The project wrapped up Dec. 6, about a week ahead of schedule.
A project of this variety is one that promises a wealth of traffic issues to be sorted through, but also a much brighter future for commuters and businesses in the area.
Construction aimed to soften the stretch of interstate referred to as Dead Man's Curve, as well as reconstruct and expand the South George Street (exit 15) interchange and widen the Leaders Heights Road (exit 14) interchange.
"In terms of inconvenience, the brunt of the project was actually borne by the businesses along Leaders Heights Road (Route 182) in the vicinity of the Leaders Heights interchange (exit 14)," said Greg Penny, community relations coordinator for PennDOTs Engineering District 8.
The volume of traffic along the Leaders Heights corridor has grown tremendously in the past 20 years, said Tony Campisi, president and chief executive officer of York Township-based Glatfelter Insurance Group. His business is in that corridor.
Congestion along Leader Heights Road should improve now that trucks can use George Street to access I-83 North, Campisi said. Previously, trucks couldn't get on to I-83 North without using Leaders Heights Road because there was no access ramp from southbound Business 83 (George Street) to northbound I-83.
Leaders Heights Road's two-lane bridge over I-83 was also widened to five lanes, and traffic lights were added and timed to control traffic.
A second exit ramp was added to make it more natural for southbound traffic on I-83 to access northbound Business 83 (George Street).
"Overall, it's been a much needed improvement. We now have a much more pleasant and safe (system), and (it's) convenient to our facilities here, and that's going to be a positive for all of our visitors," Campisi said.
The congestion caused by the construction did not hinder York Traditions Bank, which is just off of exit 16 (Route 74 and Queen Street) in York Township. If anything, it increased the bank's exposure because it forced people to migrate to the side roads, such as St. Charles Way, where York Traditions has its headquarters, said Michael Kochenour, chairman, president and chief executive officer of the bank.
"The safety and fluid flow of traffic with the improvements that they've made, I think, are going to be excellent and serve the county well," Kochenour said. "There's no question. It does definitely create additional options and should, overall, cut down on congestion."
Kochenour hopes the influx of new residents to York County who commute to work in Baltimore will continue now that the road has been improved, giving his bank and other businesses better access to those potential customers.
York Township is basically divided by I-83, said Phil Briddell, president commissioner of the York Township board of commissioners. Improving motorists' ability to cross from one side of the township to the other was not something that a lot of thought was given to in the 1950s when the road was built, Briddell said.
Because of traffic growth over the years in York Township and the surrounding townships, improving the flow of traffic became vital, Briddell said. The improvements through this project have allowed for normal traffic movement again, Briddell said.
Next up in PennDOTs pipeline of large projects in Central Pennsylvania is the approximately $90 million reconstruction of the interchange between Route 15 and Route 581 in Cumberland County, which is slated to begin in the spring. While that project is concentrated in the Route 15 corridor, it is expected to have a major impact on the region, Penny said. The project is expected to wrap up in 2010, when PennDOT will begin to concentrate on bridge improvements in the area.
"We're kind of winding; down on big projects. Other projects pale in comparison to what we'll be doing (at Route 15 and Route 581)," Penny said.
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