Plans are on display for Ebenezer Road arch culvert project in Union Township

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has unveiled an online plan for an arch culvert preservation project over a tributary to Swatara Creek along State Route 72.

The project is being eyed for section 067 of the roadway, known locally as Ebenezer Road in Union Township, about 0.6 miles south of West Jonestown and 0.6 miles north of Bunker Hill, according to a PennDOT release.

The purpose of this project is to rehabilitate the existing arch culvert carrying an unnamed tributary to Swatara Creek under Route 72 and provide scour protection, the release explains. PennDOT estimates the cost of the project to be $175,000.

The project includes removing material within the culvert barrel as well as in front of the wing walls, the release says. Scour protection will be placed to protect the existing footings of the arch culvert.

Additionally, the interior of the culvert and the exposed surfaces of the headwalls show signs of deterioration, so the interior of the culvert barrel and the inlet and outlet sections will be rehabilitated with concrete repairs, crack sealing and concrete protective coatings. No roadwork or guide rail work is proposed for this project.

Traffic control for the project is expected to include short-term lane closures and flagging.

The project is currently in the design phase, with work expected to be completed over three to four months of the 2026 construction season.

The existing structure is a cast-in-place reinforced concrete arch culvert built in 1930, according to the release. This section of Ebenezer Road has an average daily traffic volume of 9,685 vehicles per day.

A digital version of the project plans and information will be available to view online, with public comments accepted through Sept. 19.