PennDOT will close a portion of Route 283 eastbound near the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Lower Swatara Township, Dauphin County, beginning at 9 p.m. Friday to repair a stretch of highway impacted by a sinkhole that’s formed in the median.
Sinkholes have developed in the area for a few years, said PennDOT spokesman Greg Penny.
“It wasn’t affecting the roadway, so there wasn’t much of a concern then,” said Penny.
Penny said the problem has begun impacting the eastbound lanes, which have dropped a few inches. Penny said crews put concrete under those lanes previously, but now a permanent fix is needed. The westbound lanes will remain open.
“We’re getting into the time of year where things are thawing. Just a week ago, it was zero degrees, probably 50 degrees this weekend. And so, there’s a lot of movement in the ground,” said Penny. “There’s a possibility that it could be more extensive and require more materials to make a repair. But, right now, we expect to be able to open it up and make the repair and have traffic back to normal by Monday morning.”
Below is a news release from PennDOT explaining the detour drivers will take this weekend if they need to get through the area.
“The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation at 9 p.m. on Friday, March 7, will close eastbound Route 283 in Lower Swatara Township, Dauphin County, just east of the interchange with Interstate 283 and the Harrisburg East toll plaza for the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The closure of eastbound Route 283 is necessary so that construction crews can address a sinkhole located about a half-mile east of this interchange that is undermining the concrete pavement of both eastbound lanes. This portion of eastbound Route 283 carries a daily traffic volume of nearly 26,000 vehicles.
“Motorists will be detoured through the interchange between I-283 and Route 283 and directed onto northbound Eisenhower Boulevard (State Route 3001) to Fulling Mill Road (SR 3002), then eastbound on Fulling Mill Road to Union Street, and then south on Union Street to eastbound Route 283.
“Construction crews intend to remove the concrete pavement slabs over the sink hole, assess the size and nature of the sinkhole and determine their method of repair, and then make the repair and restore eastbound Route 283 to traffic by early Monday morning, in time for the morning commuter rush hours. It is possible this work may finish sooner. PennDOT will issue an announcement when eastbound Route 283 has been restored to two lanes of traffic.
“PennDOT advises motorists to be alert to this operation on eastbound Route 283, to be patient, and to slow down when approaching the work zone and traveling through the detour.”