FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2022
Contact: Matt Maisel, Director of Communications
[email protected], (717) 678-5166
HARRISBURG – Short term pain for long term gain. That is the motto City of Harrisburg engineering officials are reminding residents who live and travel along 2nd Street through its Midtown and Uptown neighborhoods.
City engineers and construction crews are nearing competition on a 20-month project which started in February 2021 and is expected to wrap up, on time, by November 2022. Second Street, which currently only travels northbound south of Division Street, will soon accommodate two-way traveling from Division to Forster Streets. As part of the project, street lights at Verbeke, Reilly, and Kelker Streets will be eliminated and replaced with roundabouts.
“This is part of our Vision Zero project we have with the state,” said City Project Manager Percy Bullock. “This will reduce fatalities and accidents of any kind, and it keeps the street moving consistently.”
According to a 2021 study by PennDOT, fatalities, injuries, and crashes consistently decrease when roundabouts are used in traditional, heavily-trafficked intersections.
Along with the new roundabouts, all intersections will have sidewalk ramps compliant with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. Turning lanes in intersections where there are no traffic lights or roundabouts will feature medians with plants and vegetation. New street light posts with brighter LED lights are also being installed along the 2nd Street corridor.
“Those beautifications to the area will bring about more residents, stores, and the potential for the market value of homes going up. Those are the things we can look forward to in the area,” Bullock said.
Construction crews are currently milling 2nd Street, which is the process of removing the currently paved surface, so they can lay down a fresh layer of pavement over the coming weeks. Traffic along 2nd Street is expected to be two-ways by June, with the project fully complete with all other enhancements by November.
Second Street will remain open throughout the construction process. However, there may be occasional lane closures to accommodate some of the construction tasks. Signs are posted along the sides of the street to designate areas where drivers cannot park. If a vehicle is parked in a “No Parking” zone, it must be moved by 6 a.m. Milling and paving will last until 6 p.m. each day, weather permitting.
Harrisburg Police will continue to remind residents with loudspeakers to move their vehicles before 6 a.m. They will be forced to ticket and tow vehicles not moved by then.
“We don’t want to tow anyone’s car,” Bullock said. “However, if we can’t move the vehicle, then we can’t work, and the last thing we want to do is waste taxpayer money.”
No parking spots will be lost once work is complete. Residents can park along side streets during the day without fear of getting ticketed. Harrisburg Police are only stressing that you stay out of the way of the construction path.
“The Number 1 thing for residents is stay tuned and be patient,” Bullock said. “We’re making noise in the morning. It’s troublesome in the beginning but satisfaction in the end, and I know everyone will be happy.”
