The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) plans to rehabilitate the Route 462 Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge connecting York and Lancaster counties along Route 462 over the Susquehanna River. The project is anticipated to improve mobility and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians and address structural deficiencies on the bridge.

Information, including roadway plans and an interactive comment form, can be found by visiting http://www.penndot.pa.gov/RegionalOffices/district-8/Pages/default.aspx, clicking on Public Meetings listed under the District Links heading, and choosing the York County box.

The project team will accept comments through Thursday, Oct. 17, at 11:59 p.m.

The Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge, also known as the Veterans Memorial Bridge or Route 462 Bridge, was opened to traffic in 1930 and connects York and Lancaster Counties along Route 462 over the Susquehanna River. The bridge contains 48 spans, is 1.26 miles long, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to vehicular traffic, the bridge is open to pedestrians and cyclists and serves as PA Bike Route S.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) propose a comprehensive bridge rehabilitation project. Studies of the bridge began in 2016, and the scope of work for the project includes addressing structural deficiencies that have occurred naturally over time; improving connections for cyclists and pedestrians accessing Columbia Borough's Northwest River Trail and River Park by adding wayfinding signs and pavement markings; improving connections for cyclists and pedestrians accessing Wrightsville Borough's Mason-Dixon Trail and Riverfront Park by adding wayfinding signs, pavement markings, and sidewalk improvements; improving the Wrightsville Borough five-point intersection of Routes 462 and 624 (Hellam Street) with North and South Second streets by constructing a roundabout; adding a traffic-calming central median at the eastern end of the bridge on Route 462 at the North Second Street intersection; and providing lighting improvements above the bridge deck to enhance traveler safety during the annual mayfly season.

The project was scheduled to begin construction in the spring, but structural deficiencies were identified during a biannual bridge inspection in June 2023. As a result, PennDOT posted a 10-ton weight restriction on the bridge and developed an interim bridge repairs project. The interim project was intended to improve areas of concern, and construction work was anticipated to be completed by the fall of 2024. The repairs will not remove the weight restriction, but they are intended to keep the bridge from a full closure until the future permanent bridge repairs work can occur.

As a result of the significant change in the condition of the bridge, PennDOT has revised the project scope to include more extensive rehabilitation. The major bridge rehabilitation is delayed until PennDOT and FHWA complete additional engineering and environmental evaluation studies for the long-term rehabilitation of the bridge. An approximate three-year bridge closure to vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians is anticipated within the middle timeframe of an overall five-year construction project. Vehicles will use Route 30 as the primary detour while bikes and pedestrians will be accommodated through transit services.

The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and work is anticipated to take place between the 2027 and 2031 construction seasons subject to all approvals, environmental clearances, and funding availability.

The purpose of the online plan display is to introduce the project and allow members of the public to ask questions or express concerns. It is also an opportunity for the public to review and comment on the project's potential effect upon cultural resources pursuant to the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation's 36 CFR Part 800 regulations implementing Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act.

The project documents can be made available in alternative languages or formats if requested. Anyone who needs translation or interpretation services or has special needs may contact Mark Malhenzie, senior project manager, at 717-783-5080 or mmalhenzie@pa.gov.