Design alternatives, including 3rd Street extension, offer options for Harrisburg Southern Gateway

The alternatives development and selection process follows a specific path that includes public input and other steps to ensure that the selected (or preferred) alternative best meets the project needs and addresses other concerns, such as historic and environmental impacts, before the project proceeds to final design.
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In early 2006, a preferred alternative was approved for the Southern Gateway. As did all of the proposed options, it:

• extends 3rd Street to the I-83 ramps as a two-way street
• extends 3rd Street under the Amtrak and Norfolk Southern rail lines
• creates more of a grid pattern for the streets
• extends Vine Street across 2nd Street to 3rd Street
• increases the clearance for rail bridges over 2nd and Front streets
• creates a signalized intersection of Paxton at 3rd Street, and
• elevates Paxton Street over 2nd Street.

In addition, the selected alternative provides connections to Paxton Street for both north and southbound I-83 traffic. The proposed improvement does not change the configuration of the I-83 interchange, but it does alter the way the ramps interact with the City streets.

Click here to enlargeHarrisburg Southern Gateway transportation alternatives were unveiled in 2004, with a “no build” option used as a point of comparison for environmental impacts, as required under federal guidelines.

Final design will determine the exact alignment of the roadways.

The team invites your comments.