CUMBERLAND COUNTY, )Pa.– The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission announced that Interstate-76 (I-76) in Cumberland County has reopened for eastbound traffic between the Gettysburg Pike Interchange, Exit 236, and the Harrisburg West Interchange, Exit 242, after completion of the first phase of the replacement of the bridge carrying the Turnpike over the Norfolk Southern Railway at milepost 238.09 in Lower Allen Township.
Crews worked diligently over the last 58 hours to reopen the roadway ahead of schedule. Every construction task involved in the process was accomplished smoothly. The Turnpike safely demolished the existing eastbound bridge and replaced it with a new steel superstructure that had been built adjacent to the roadway over the last several months.
During next weekend’s closure, the superstructure will be replaced in the westbound direction. Closures will begin at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27 through 6 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30. Westbound motorists will exit at the Harrisburg West Interchange, Exit 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 Pike Interchange, Exit 236, for a detour of 9 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.
Project details, photos, detour maps and animation are available at paturnpike.com/travel/accelerated_bridge_construction.aspx.
SOURCE: PennDOT
