LEMOYNE, Pa. — PennDOT officials held an open house on Monday evening at the Lemoyne Municipal Building to present three alternative plans that would improve safety and accessibility on Market Street in Lemoyne and Wormleysburg through the area commonly referred to as the Lemoyne Bottleneck.
"The ultimate goal is to improve safety and efficiency for all modes of transportation, vehicles, bikes and pedestrians through that area," said Dave Thompson, the community relations coordinator for PennDOT's District 8.
The Lemoyne Bottleneck Project addresses safety concerns for pedestrians and bicyclists in the area that are caused by several issues including high traffic volumes, curved roadway alignment, limited sight distance, inconsistent or nonexistent shoulder widths and poor condition of narrow sidewalks.
Monday's open house meeting allowed community members to view the plan in more detail, ask questions and voice concerns to project personnel.
"These people live here, and they travel through this corridor all the time so they know the nuts and bolts of the situation," said Thompson. "We just want to hear what they have to say about that and we’ll take those comments and incorporate them into the design."
Nick Malawskey, a resident of New Cumberland and member of Bike Harrisburg who commutes through the Lemoyne Bottleneck regularly to get to work, says its changes that are desperately needed.
"The Lemoyne Bottleneck hasn’t changed in a very long time and conditions there are not great. They’ve been deteriorating over the last couple years," said Malawskey. "It’s very hard actually to get through there in a safe manner. The way it is now it’s actively discouraging people from using alternative modes of transportation."
PennDOT estimates the project will cost nearly $4 million. However, they believe it's a long-term investment that is necessary.
"We feel it’s going to be money well spent and it’s going to be a great improvement," said Thompson. "This project is going to improve the situation for the next couple of decades with the growth we expect in the area."
It's a pricey investment some residents agree is worth it.
"With these heavier infrastructure projects you’re going to have that price tag," said Drew Lawrence, a seven-year resident of New Cumberland. "If we don’t invest in it now, but decide to in the future the price will probably be a lot higher. I think now’s a good time for it."
Residents in the area also hope that the improvements will ultimately make Harrisburg more accessible to everyone.
"Once you make these improvements and you make it more attractive and more open to people, you’re going to have people running, walking and biking [in the area]," said Malawskey. "Market Street Bridge and the Bottleneck are one of two connections for non-motorized vehicles to get into the city, that’s a critical connection that right now isn’t being used as much as it could be. It’s really about encouraging more people to get out there and to use active transportation."
The project is currently in its preliminary engineering phase where it is looking at various possible alternative plans along with taking feedback from the local community. All three alternative plans presented at Monday's open house include select area widening, repaving, optimizing lane configurations, new 8-inch high curbs, enhanced signage and pavement markings, traffic signal upgrades, reconstructed curb ramps, driveways, and sidewalks or shared use paths to meet ADA requirements for pedestrians and bicyclists among other improvements.
The public comment period for the project will remain open through February 29. PennDOT expects to bid the project and begin construction in 2026 which will last through the year.
A full comprehensive outline of the Lemoyne Bottleneck Project can be viewed on PennDOT's website.