Five weeks and counting: East Market Street closes as crews replace bridge
A section of East Market Street near Interstate 83 shut down early Tuesday morning as crews began to replace an aging bridge over Mill Creek − an undertaking that will result in a five-week closure.
Traffic near the bridge closure seemed lighter than normal after the bridge closed. As drivers found other routes around the closure, queues developed in the areas of North Sherman Street, Route 30 and North Hills Road.
East Market Street, also known as Route 462, is closed between Belmont Street and North Hills Road. The detour route is North Sherman Street, Route 30, and North Hills Road.
The $6.4 million project involves replacing the bridge, signal upgrades, guide rail work and other construction. Route 462 is expected to reopen in early November after the new span is put in, but the entire project will not be completed until the spring.
Traffic alert:Ugh! Get ready for 5 weeks of detours as East Market Street closes at I-83 starting Tuesday
For subscribers:What's up with George Street construction? It's being reduced to 1 lane in each direction
Business at the Belmont Bean Co. was a little slower than normal on Tuesday, but it wasn't unexpected because of the nearby road closure, manager Elise Lanteigne-Marrow said.
The coffee shop told customers about the roadwork and posted it on social media.
"A lot of the regulars are coming in, which is nice," she said.
Lanteigne-Marrow said she's happy the bridge, built in 1959, is being replaced because of its age. She hopes the project isn't delayed − not only for the coffee shop's sake but for the drivers who use the major thoroughfare.
Charlotte Albert, a receptionist at the nearby Brick House Salon, said she traveled Mount Rose Avenue toward the city to detour around the bridge closure, and it was congested. She was a few minutes late for work.
"Hopefully, five weeks will be the real number," she said, adding that she doesn't want to see a problem like with the Mount Rose Avenue project.
While Springettsbury Township Police noted that it was only hours into the closure of the road, the department did receive one complaint about speeding in a neighborhood off of Sherman Street on Tuesday, Lt. Tony Beam said.
Some neighborhoods have expressed concerns about how the closure of the road might impact them as drivers find alternate routes. It includes the homes along Tenth and Eleventh avenues, which have narrow streets.
"We're going to monitor it," Beam said.
The bridge is being replaced as one of the projects in advance of the I-83 widening from four to six lanes between the Market Street and George Street interchanges.
PennDOT decided to go with a closure to reduce the traffic impacts and to lessen the time that power lines in the work zone will have to be de-energized, a spokesman has said. The project would have taken a year and a half without a full closure.
Clearwater Construction Inc. of Mercer, Pennsylvania, is the contractor.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Route 462 closes for bridge replacement, drivers seek alternative routes
