HARRISBURG,Pa.– Finally, “it’s a go” for the contractor to close the State Street bridge this weekend to mill and repave the bridge deck. The State Street bridge, known officially as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge and located just east of the Capitol Complex in Harrisburg, will be closed to all traffic this weekend — from 7 PM on Friday, June 10, to 6 AM on Monday, June 13. The closure is necessary so that construction crews can mill and repave the roadway surface of the bridge deck. The milling operation is a mechanical process that removes the old asphalt pavement surface. The old material will be replaced with new asphalt by the paving operation.
Construction work will actually start at noon on Friday in the currently closed right lanes on the bridge, but the weekend closure and detours will start at 7 PM.
Motorists are advised that westbound traffic will be detoured by way of the 13th Street ramp, then right on Cameron Street, left onto Herr Street, and finally left onto 7th Street. Eastbound traffic will be detoured by way of 7th Street, right onto Herr Street, and finally right onto 17th Street.
This work is part of an overall project that began last year to repair and repave seven state-owned roads in the City of Harrisburg. Forster Street and a portion of Commonwealth Avenue and 7th Street were completed last year. Work is currently underway this spring on Walnut, 4th and Mulberry streets, The construction contract also includes a small stretch of road known as the 7th Street bypass that runs under the west end of the State Street bridge.
PennDOT has contracted with J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Pennsylvania, to conduct these road improvements at a cost of $3,183,888. The overall project is scheduled for completion in September, but the contractor will likely finish ahead of schedule.
