Timing a concern as Franklin County identifies I-81 improvement priorities

Amber South, Chambersburg Public Opinion
Updated ·5 min read
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Editor's note: This story was updated at 4:35 p.m. Sept. 20, 2023, to correct the length of Interstate 81 in Franklin County, correct the name of the consultant and to fix the link to the survey. Public Opinion apologizes for the mistakes.

It will likely be decades until Interstate 81 is widened to six lanes anywhere in Franklin County, but going forward other projects will be built to eventually accommodate additional lanes, an engineering firm representative said Tuesday at a meeting on I-81 improvements in Franklin County.

The upcoming construction of Exit 12 at Guilford Springs Road, Guilford Township, and the replacement of the bridge over I-81 on Hykes Road in Antrim Township are the only two projects that are confirmed with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, according to Brian Funkhouser, senior transportation planner with Michael Baker International.

The Franklin County Metropolitan Planning Organization worked with the engineering firm to develop a list of priorities for improving the 26 miles of I-81 in the county. In combination with an online survey, Tuesday's meeting was part of an effort to involve the community in the process.

"I think we all recognize tonight, if 81 fails, what a tremendous impact that would have not only on mobility but the livelihood of Franklin County," Funkhouser said.

Franklin County can develop priorities for I-81 improvements thanks to the 2021 federal infrastructure package, which added $20 billion to PennDOT's 12-year transportation project program. At nearly $84 billion, it's the most funding ever available for transportation projects in Pennsylvania.

A big thing to keep in mind regarding improvements on I-81 is that Franklin County can't make anything happen on its own. Since PennDOT took over oversight of the interstates from local municipal planning organizations in 2007, the local entity can only name priorities and emphasize them to PennDOT.

"(PennDOT) has stressed to the MPO it needs to know our priorities," Funkhouser said. "We want to go back and say these are our priorities and this is what the public wants to see."

The MPO developed this priority list, with cost estimates:

  1. New interchange at Exit 12 ($49,872,000)

  2. Bridge replacement on Hykes Road over I-81 in Antrim Township ($7,059,000)

  3. Interchange reconstruction at Exit 5, which is Pa. 16 ($59,202,000)

  4. Safety improvements at Exit 14, which is Wayne Avenue ($1.5 million)

  5. Interchange improvements at Exit 16, which is Lincoln Way East ($14.665 million)

  6. Interchange improvements at Exit 3, which is Molly Pitcher Highway ($22.7 million)

Funkhouser offered details on some of the projected projects. The Exit 5 reconstruction would include changing the footprint of the interchange. Improvements at Exit 14 would focus on the southbound off-ramp. At Exit 3, the U.S. 11 bridge over I-81 would be widened and an on-ramp to I-81 southbound would be built for northbound traffic on U.S. 11.

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PennDOT's Interstate Steering Committee has its own list of priorities:

  1. Resurfacing from miles 0-6

  2. Resurfacing from Guilford Springs Road to Exit 20

  3. Resurfacing from Exit 5 to Guilford Springs Road

  4. Pavement preservation from Exit 20 to Cumberland County Line

  5. Widening and reconstruction from miles 0-6

  6. Widening and reconstruction miles 6-12

  7. Widening and reconstruction miles 12-17.5

  8. Widening and reconstruction miles 17.5 to 25.5

This chart shows the nine segments of I-81 and the amount of traffic in each, how much of the traffic is trucks, the "level of service," the projected year a segment will reach an unacceptable level of service, and when the pavement's life span ends.
This chart shows the nine segments of I-81 and the amount of traffic in each, how much of the traffic is trucks, the "level of service," the projected year a segment will reach an unacceptable level of service, and when the pavement's life span ends.

In response to a question about when the widening projects may begin from Ruth Ebersole, a representative of state Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin/Adams, a Michael Baker International engineer said the timeline of any project after the first three on this list, which are already approved, depends on when funding becomes available.

Mike Ross, president of the Franklin County Area Redevelopment Corp., jumped in: "The concern becomes the length of time it takes to do a project. We're talking Exit 12 has been 20 years."

A representative from Michael Baker International estimated it takes roughly 10 years for a road reconstruction project to go from design and permitting to completion.

"I'm panicking," said Sam Cressler, chairman of the Franklin County MPO and a Southampton Township supervisor. "From what I'm seeing, if there's not somebody pushing (our priorities to PennDOT), we're gonna fail."

I-81 approaching unacceptable 'level of service'

To analyze improvement needs, the group broke down I-81 into nine sections and rated them by "level of service," which is a system road engineers use to determine when a road is past acceptable use.

Most of the nine segments have enough traffic to be considered "urban" (as opposed to "rural"). All are currently at an acceptable "level of service," and eight of them rated "C" for stable traffic flow and moderate speed and maneuverability restrictions. The segment between Exits 17 and 20 is rated D, which means the traffic flow is becoming unstable and is subject to sudden changes in speed.

An "E" rating means an urban road is no longer at an acceptable level, with unstable traffic flow and sudden changes to speed and maneuverability. The lowest level of service — "F" — means traffic is heavily congested and surpasses the road's capacity, causing long delays.

If nothing is done, all parts of I-81 in Franklin County will reach level "E" by 2040. The segments of Exits 1 to 3, 5 to 10, 16 to 17, and 17 to 20 would get there by 2035.

This chart shows the description for each "level of service," a system road engineers use rate the impact of traffic on a roadway. Most of I-81 in Franklin County is rated C (traffic flow stable, moderate speed and maneuverability restrictions, but all are expected to be at level E (unstable traffic flow, sudden changes in speed and manueverability) by 2040.

'The same song and dance'?

Michael Finucane, a director on the Chambersburg Area school board, came to the meeting with a 2001 news article about a PennDOT committee applying "immediate priority status" to widening I-81 in Franklin County to three lanes.

He expressed doubt that the current process will ever lead to additional lanes, calling it "the same song and dance."

"I just don't see how we take the next steps. I know planning as to be done. I know it's expensive. I know money's involved," Finucane said. "But I think that's where a lot of people's frustration is. We can go just south of the (state) border and be on six-lane roads and feel safer. You come into our county, you feel in danger."

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Take the I-81 improvements survey

The public comment period for Franklin County's I-81 improvement project is open through Oct. 12. Members of the public are invited to share their input using an online survey, available at https://bit.ly/3Pu8Q9q.

The county has received more than 500 responses since the survey went live Sept. 12, Funkhouser said.

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: Franklin County developing I-81 priorities, but 6 lanes long way off