PennDOT District 8 representatives provided updates on transportation projects to members of the Policy Board of the Lebanon County Metropolitan Planning Organization (LEBCO MPO) on Thursday, Dec. 19.

Noted were four projects completed in fall 2024: the bridge replacement on SR 72, Wilhelm Avenue and Cornwall Road intersection improvements, Isabel Drive and SR 72 intersection improvements, and resurfacing of State Drive from Lebanon city line to Klein Avenue in South Lebanon Township.

The new bridge – made of prestressed concrete beams, a concrete deck, and concrete abutments on the stream banks – replaced a previous 1930-era, two-span arch structure that had a center pier in the Swatara Creek and a narrow concrete deck. (Will Trostel)

Read More: Route 72 bridge reopens over Swatara Creek in Union and Swatara townships

Washout was discovered during the final inspection of the SR 72 bridge, said Emily Osilka with PennDOT District 8.

This is not affecting the bridge’s piers or abutments but rather the SR 72 northbound shoulder, said Jason Kute, assistant construction manager with PennDOT District 8 in an email.

“This washout is the concentrated amount of sheet flow coming off of the SR 72 northbound shoulder and down the hill approaching the bridge,” Kute explained.

PennDOT officials said that the bridge has minor drainage issues requiring shoulder repairs, though the structure remains safe for traffic. Existing shoulder material will be replaced with a permeable rock material so stormwater can drain through it. (Will Trostel)

That stormwater is supposed to flow into a rock-lined ditch. But the opening of the ditch is sometimes blocked with debris, such as sticks and leaves, so the sheet flow or stormwater runoff bypasses the ditch and flows elsewhere, according to Kute.

The contractor plans to replace the existing shoulder material with a permeable rock material so the stormwater can drain through it. The strip of new material will measure about 8.5 feet wide by 86 feet long, Kute said in an email Thursday.

(Will Trostel)

The cost to repair should be minimal, he added. No date has been scheduled for the work, but the bridge will stay open during the fix although there may be some temporary traffic control with flagging, PennDOT officials said.

The bridge will be officially named for the late state Sen. David J. Arnold Jr. in an early 2025 ceremony. The Sen. David J. Arnold Jr. Memorial Bridge was designated last year in honor of Arnold, who was elected to the Senate in 2019 after serving as Lebanon County’s district attorney for 14 years. Arnold was 49 years old when he died on Jan. 17, 2021, after a battle with brain cancer. He was a lifelong resident of Lebanon County.

The bridge will be dedicated as the “Sen. David J. Arnold Jr. Memorial Bridge” in a ceremony held in early 2025. The bridge is named after the late state Sen. David J. Arnold Jr., who was 49 years old when he died on Jan. 17, 2021, after a battle with brain cancer. (Will Trostel)

Read More: State Senate passes bill naming new bridge after late Lebanon County senator

Jon Fitzkee, senior transportation planner with the county planning department, thanked PennDOT District 8 for the improvement projects and for ongoing assistance with the MPO’s transportation priorities.

“You see a lot of progress on projects because of PennDOT’s strong support and assistance in helping us,” Fitzkee told the committee.

“This support from PennDOT staff has allowed us to move a large volume of projects through development and to take advantage of much of the transportation funding available to our MPO and to statewide funds,” he added.

Board members joined in applauding PennDOT’s work in Lebanon.

Osilka also gave updates on projects under design at PennDOT. These included:

  • Hydrology and hydraulics have been finalized to address flooding on Lingle Avenue. Next up is for PennDOT, the MPO, and South Londonderry Township to discuss the project. Estimated let date is calendar year 2027.
  • A design field view meeting is on PennDOT’s calendar for the intersection at SR 343 and Kimmerling and Kochenderfer roads. A roundabout is the preferred safety improvement. Estimated let date is calendar year 2027.
  • Preliminary engineering is underway on the SR 501 and Reistville Road intersection in Jackson and Heidelberg townships. PennDOT is looking at possible realignment of SR 501 as well as other improvements. No estimated let date.
  • The installation of a traffic signal at the intersection of Orange Street and Cornwall Road, Lebanon City, likely will occur in 2025. Estimated let date is in January.

In other business, the committee:

  • Approved the MPO’s annual safety performance measures. These are rolling five-year averages of roadways where injuries or fatalities occur. “We use the targets to drive the numbers down and spend money wisely,” Fitzkee said.
  • Approved an amendment to the 2025-28 Transportation Improvement Plan to add work on the bridge over Deep Run on U.S. 22 in Bethel Township to the county’s bridge maintenance contract. Estimated let date for this project is early 2026-27.
  • Heard from Fitzkee about two special planning studies the MPO is considering if funding becomes available. These are improvements to the Cornwall Road and SR 419 intersection and the extension of 25th Street to the business park. The MPO is hoping to secure special planning funds from PennDOT to conduct these.

Read More: PennDOT considering roundabout on Cornwall and Burd Coleman road intersection

The next scheduled meeting of the Policy Board of the Lebanon County Metropolitan Planning Organization is at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 20. The meeting is held in Room 207, Lebanon County Courthouse, and is open to the public.

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Margaret Hopkins reports primarily on West Cornwall Township, the City of Lebanon Authority, and the Lebanon County Metropolitan Planning Organization. A resident of Mount Gretna Campmeeting, she is interested in the area’s history and its cultural and economic roots. As a former print journalist,...