HARRISBURG, Pa. — A major intersection in Harrisburg is under construction as part of the city's efforts to increase safety and reduce traffic-related deaths. The Capital Gateway construction project aims to improve safety for all modes of transportation, with a focus on the needs of city residents.
The construction project will transform two major intersections along Forster Street at Front and North Second Streets. It will add safety measures like raised crosswalks, wider medians, and extended ADA-accessible curbs.
Matt Maisel, the director of communications for the City of Harrisburg, said by the end of construction, lanes will also be narrower, which can lead to safer streets.
“Those are just traffic-calming visual cues to slow down, you’re going too fast,” said Maisel.
This aligns with the city’s Vision Zero initiative, which was launched in 2018, to eliminate traffic-related deaths over 10 years.
According to the City of Harrisburg, Forster Street is the most crash-prone road in Harrisburg, with 59 crashes occurring within 100 feet of the Forster Street intersections from 2016 to 2020.
But Maisel says this doesn’t only include motorists. According to him, a major part of the project is considering what local residents want and need for their homes.
“We know that the City of Harrisburg is so important for state workers… but for a lot of those people they don’t live in the city. And we have to be cognizant of their wants and needs and their safety for that matter to make sure that they are getting something out of this as well,” Maisel said.
By expanding sidewalks and increasing traffic-calming measures, officials hope residents will feel safer while walking or biking around their community.
Another major change coming to the roadway is a larger median to separate the six lanes of traffic, which Maisel says will also help pedestrians and bicyclists.
“If you can’t get across the street in enough time that the walk sign is allowing you, you can stop in the middle and there will be a safe place for you to wait it out until the next walk sign,” said Maisel.
During construction, drivers on both sides of Forster Street will lose lanes. This is why officials are warning drivers to pay attention to signs and other notices that are, “All designed to improve the efficient movement of traffic but also the safe movement of traffic,” according to Dave Thompson, community relations coordinator for PennDOT.
The city also encourages people to consider alternate routes to reduce congestion in the area.
The city aims to complete sidewalk and curbing work by the end of October, after which construction will be paused until mid-March or early April to comply with PennDOT regulations.
Crews will focus on road repaving and completing any remaining work when operations resume in the spring.