📋 Tender Overview
U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) led all 18 of his colleagues in the Pennsylvania congressional delegation in a letter to U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Pete Buttigieg in support of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) application for federal infrastructure funding to replace the aging Interstate 83 John Harris Memorial Bridge, otherwise known as the I-83 South Bridge, over the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg. The bridge is currently rated in “poor condition” by PennDOT and has developed cracks in its steel beams that are expected to deteriorate further. A full replacement is necessary to save the bridge from collapse and keep traffic flowing on I-83 in South Central Pennsylvania.
“The I-83 South Bridge is an important piece of the Pennsylvania transportation network, facilitating connections to intermodal freight terminals, job opportunities, schools, and businesses large and small. With over 125,000 vehicles travelling over the bridge every day, it is crucial that this structure remain open and fully capable of carrying high volumes of traffic,” the delegation wrote.
The I-83 South Bridge’s main river spans are considered fracture critical—the failure of a single girder could potentially result in the total collapse of one or more of the bridge spans. Funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) is critical to fully replace the structure to keep residents and travelers safe and protect the local trucking industry, businesses, and schools.
In addition to Senator Casey, the letter was signed by U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) and U.S. Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), Brendan Boyle (D-PA-2), Dwight Evans (D-PA-3), Madeleine Dean (D-PA-4), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA-5), Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6), Susan Wild (D-PA-7), Matt Cartwright (D-PA-8), Dan Meuser (R-PA-9), Scott Perry (R-PA-10), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA-11), Summer Lee (D-PA-12), John Joyce (R-PA-13), Guy Reschenthaler (R-PA-14), Glenn Thompson (R-PA-15), Mike Kelly (R-PA-16), and Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17).
