NEWS INFORMATION FROM

THE OFFICE OF MAYOR STEPHEN R. REED
City of Harrisburg
King City Government Center
Harrisburg, PA 17101-1678
Telephone: 717.255.3040

FOR IMMEDIATE USE
4 February 2004

CITY ISLAND ENTRANCE AREAS FROM MARKET STREET BRIDGE TO UNDERGO DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENTS

Harrisburg, PA—The entrance areas to Harrisburg City Island from the Market Street Bridge are set to undergo a dramatic transformation that will ease traffic congestion, provide greater safety and convenience to pedestrians and motorists, and be more appealing to visitors, Mayor Stephen R. Reed revealed today in announcing the new Market Street/City Island Underpass Reconstruction Project. Work will get underway by late Summer of this year and run through the Spring of 2005.

Mayor Reed, who conceived and launched the effort, said construction bids are set to be issued later this Spring. The work will involve the complete replacement and widening of the circa-1934 Market Street Bridge Underpass on City Island and the expansion and upgrade of both the north and south ramps off of the Bridge onto the Island. The Bridge’s roadway across City Island will be resurfaced, and new pedestrian access areas will be created. New landscaping and the creation of a new picnic area on the south side of City Island are included in the project’s scope of work.

“This will be significant improvement to Harrisburg City Island, which now attracts over one million visitors a year,” said Mayor Stephen R. Reed. “The project benefits both pedestrian and vehicular access and use of the Island. When completed it will be both safer and easier to get onto and off the Island, with the added benefit of a much more attractive and appealing entrance.”

Reed said highlights of the work will include:

• Demolition of the existing underpass and replacement with a wider, higher structure that allows for multiple traffic lanes and pedestrian passageways through it.
• Expansion of the north ramp to allow for wider traffic lanes, and the installation of new sidewalks, curbing, steps, guardrails and other amenities.
• Widening and relocation of the south ramp, which will allow for easier bus access and movement, as well as the installation of new sidewalks and curbing, wider traffic lanes and a new public picnic area.
• Resurfacing of the roadway on the Market Street Bridge where it crosses over City Island, and the installation of new sidewalks, lighting and other features.

Reed said the work will be conducted in stages so as to have the least impact on the Island during the normally busy summer season. Work will begin in Mid-August of 2004, and run through the Spring of 2005. Some minor traffic restrictions will be necessary at various times during the project, but access to the Island and use of the Market Street Bridge will be continuous throughout the project. Pedestrians can also use the nearby Walnut Street Bridge, which will be unaffected by the planned changes.

“When completed,” Reed said, “this will have multiple benefits for those visiting City Island, as well as for users of the Market Street Bridge. Longer turning lanes and wider ramps will speed access onto and off of the Island during peak periods, thus easing the congestion that can sometimes form on the Bridge. New sidewalks, steps and other pedestrian-friendly features will provide greater safety and convenience to Island-goers.”

The Mayor said the project costs, estimated at over $1 million, are being covered entirely by federal transportation funds, including the preliminary engineering and design work done through the Harrisburg Parking Authority. Initial design work has been provided by Urban Engineers, Inc., and project management is being provided by District 8-0 of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.

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