LANCASTER, Pa. — A bridge spanning Lancaster and York Counties is set to shut down for a major construction project that has been years in the making.
The project, still a few years away, has local leaders already planning and preparing for the impact it will have on the community.
Community members shared their concerns at a project open house in Lancaster County on Tuesday and got their first glimpses at what they can expect to see for the project that will impact thousands of drivers every day.
“When this happens, we want it to go as smoothly as possible. It’s going to impact a lot of people,” said Columbia Borough Mayor Leo Lutz.
More than 11,000 vehicles cross the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge daily, but soon that number will be reduced to zero. A construction project aimed at refurbishing the historic bridge and making it safer for pedestrian and bicycle traffic would close the major roadway to all traffic for three years.
Some community members shared their concerns about the project and how it will impact their everyday lives during the estimated five-year construction period.
For Penny Barton, a resident of Columbia, the main concern is traffic backup.
"I live at the intersection of 441 and 462, and anytime there's an accident, I get jammed into where I live or I can't get to where I live. It already gets backed up, and there are two bridges... it's got to be worse with one bridge,” Barton explained.
The bridge rehabilitation project would divert all traffic to the Route 30 bridge paralleling the Columbia-Wrightsville bridge, but local officials say they have a plan to reduce congestion in the event of a crash.
"We know we're gonna push people to the side and we can get our gator up through and provide gas, emergency medical attention, and whatever have you," said Lutz.
Dave Thompson, the community relations coordinator for PennDOT, said in the event of a crash, officials plan to use additional lanes from the opposing side of traffic to divert vehicles around the accident.
One of the main goals of the construction is to ensure that once the project is completed, the revamped bridge requires very little upkeep and the surrounding areas keep traffic flowing smoothly. Part of that effort is creating designated areas for bikers and safer walking areas for pedestrians.
Glenn Blue, a Wrightsville resident, expressed concerns about the safety of biking across the bridge and attended the open house to get a better idea of how the updates will make his two-wheel travel easier.
"They're doing a great job, you can see the bike lanes, you can see everything there, so I've been really happy so far," Blue said, gesturing to the large diagrams of the construction plan that PennDOT provided for community members to view.
The Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge is a historic structure, and part of making these changes requires the bridge to be taken apart piece by piece and then rebuilt. However, transportation officials say the rebuild will maintain the look of the historic structure.
While the project includes multiple municipalities, transportation officials hope to keep its impact on people's lives to a minimum.
“It's really used a lot by everyone, and I just hope that everyone keeps that in mind," said Blue.
Despite the construction not beginning until 2027, events like this open house aim to give everyone involved time to plan and prepare.