CUMBERLAND COUNTY — The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is warning motorists of continuous, 59-hour weekend closures scheduled between the Gettysburg Interchange, Exit 236, and the Harrisburg West Interchange, Exit 242, on the Pennsylvania Turnpike from Friday through Monday, Sept. 23 for eastbound traffic, and next Friday, Sept. 27, through Monday, Sept. 30 for westbound traffic.
The eastbound roadway will close at 7 p.m. Friday and will re-open at 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept 23.
The westbound roadway will then be closed at 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 through 6 a.m. on Sept. 30, the Turnpike Commission says.
The lengthy closures are needed for work crews to safely demolish the current bridge that carries the Turnpike over the Norfolk Southern Railway at milepost 238.09 in Lower Allen Township, and then replace it with a new steel superstructure.
Motorists are urged to avoid the area if possible, but if travelling should plan for an additional 20 to 40 minutes of travel time for detours. Motorists should also pay close attention to the orange and black directional signs.
During the impacted weekends, the PA Turnpike will implement the following detours:
EASTBOUND DETOUR ~ WEEKEND OF SEPT. 20-23
The detour exit is the Gettysburg Interchange (#236). The authorized detour directs motorists to U.S. Route 15 north to State Route 581 east then to follow Route 581 east to Interstate 83 south and to reenter I-76 east at Harrisburg West Interchange (#242) for a detour of nine miles.
WESTBOUND DETOUR ~ WEEKEND OF SEPT. 27 – 30
During the second weekend, the superstructure will be replaced in the westbound direction. Motorists will exit at the Harrisburg West Interchange (#242) and be directed to follow Interstate 83 north to State Route 581 west to U.S. Route 15 south and reenter I-76 at the Gettysburg Interchange (#236) for a detour of nine miles.
This bridge replacement is part of the accelerated bridge construction (ABC) program which employs construction methods and materials in a safe, cost-effective way to reduce the time it takes compared to traditional bridge-replacement techniques. With ABC, traffic impacts occur over two weekends instead of nine to 18 months of intermittent traffic disruptions.
