I-83 Improvements Project Recognized by ARTBA

May 8, 2007

(Harrisburg, Pa.) The Interstate 83 (I-83) Improvements Project, Exits 14 & 15, received a 2007 PRIDE Award from the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA). This award recognizes superior community involvement and honors context-sensitive solutions. The I-83 project also received the Planning Award from the York County Planning Commission in May.

Known locally as “Dead Man’s Curve,” this portion of I-83 was located in the Leader Heights area south of York, Pa. Gannett Fleming performed the preliminary engineering, environmental studies, and final design to improve this section of the interstate. The new alignment of I-83 was shifted east to soften the previous curves and improve safety.

Due to this project’s suburban setting and high-traffic volumes of more than 55,000 vehicles per day, a variety of tools were used to keep the community informed and involved throughout the project. For example, this project’s cutting-edge, multi-faceted public involvement plan was comprised of three public meetings, two community design centers (CDCs), a project Web site, five newsletters, a toll-free number for project information, a community advisory committee (CAC), and a focus group.

The two CDCs were open during the week to allow community members to attend at times convenient to them, including mornings, evenings, and weekends. The CDCs were some of the first of their kind in Pennsylvania and allowed community members to suggest their own project designs and watch them “come to life” via state-of-the-art technologies. Numerous design elements that were a result of the input gathered at the CDCs and from the CAC are reflected in the final project.

For more information, please contact Judy L. Hricak, CPSM, at (717) 763-7211 or via e-mail.