PA Turnpike to Replace Cumberland County Bridge Span Over Next Two Weekends
Continuous, 59-hour weekend closures Sept. 20 -23 and Sept. 27-30 needed for bridge demolition and replacement.

HARRISBURG, PA (Sept. 18, 2019) — 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 PA Turnpike (I-76) from Sept. 20 through Sept. 23 for eastbound traffic, and Sept. 27 through Sept. 30 for westbound traffic.

The eastbound roadway will be closed at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 20 until 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept 23. The westbound roadway will then be closed at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27 until 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.

The lengthy closures are needed for crews to safely demolish the current bridge that carries the Turnpike over the Norfolk Southern Railway at milepost 238.09 in Lower Allen Township, Cumberland County, 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 9 miles.

WESTBOUND DETOUR ~ WEEKEND OF SEPT. 27 – 30

During the second weekend, the superstructure will be replaced in the westbound direction. Closures will begin at 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 27 through 6 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.  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 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.

For the last several months crews have been constructing the new bridge segments near the existing bridges. When the highway section is closed, workers will demolish the existing bridge and replace it with the new spans.

Project details, detour animations, maps and photography are available at paturnpike.com/travel/accelerated_bridge_construction.aspx.

Work schedules are subject to change based on weather conditions as well as the operation of the railway.

To report an accident or other emergencies on the PA Turnpike, dial *11 on your mobile phone.

To learn more about PA Turnpike conditions or to contact us, use one of these resources:

ON THE PA TURNPIKE

·        Variable & Digital Message Signs — nearly 100 signs along the Turnpike

·        Highway Advisory Radio — 1640 AM (tune-in near interchanges)

BY PHONE

·        Turnpike Roadway Information Program (toll-free) — 866-976-TRIP (8747)

·        Customer Assistance Center (toll-free) — 800-331-3414 (weekdays, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.)

ON THE WEB

·        TRIPTalk — free, travel-alert smartphone app; download at https://www.paturnpike.com/travel/trip_talk.aspx

·        Travel Conditions Map — live, inactive conditions map; view at https://www.paturnpike.com/webmap

·        Waze  — a crowd-sourced navigation app that provides real-time traffic conditions with input from other drivers; download at https://www.waze.com

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