Ongoing construction of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway featuring new bridges and interchanges.
The Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway is nearing a $1 billion completion with significant progress on new bridges and interchanges. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has updated the project cost to $970 million, due to rising expenses. Construction of the southern section is on track to finish by the fall of 2027, which includes critical connectivity improvements. Meanwhile, federal funds remain unaffected by budget cuts, and significant earthwork has already been completed, paving the way for improved regional traffic patterns.
The Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway (CSVT) project is quickly approaching the finish line with current estimates indicating that the total cost will be near $1 billion. According to the latest update from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the current estimated cost stands at $970 million. This represents a $32 million increase from previous estimates largely due to rising construction costs and adjustments in the final design of the project.
The construction of the southern section, which mainly stretches through Snyder County, remains on schedule. The main line is projected to open in the fall of 2027. Additionally, work on the Route 61 connector, which will provide a direct access point to the Veterans Memorial Bridge into Sunbury, is expected to wrap up the following fall. This connector’s construction was delayed intentionally by PennDOT to minimize the impact on traffic along the already congested Route 11/15.
As part of the connector project, a crucial bridge over Route 11/15, which aids southbound commuters traveling to Sunbury, will be replaced. Recent progress shows that earthwork contracts have been successfully completed. In fact, a second significant contract valued at $104.6 million for constructing nine bridges and four noise barriers is currently in progress.
Despite cuts from the Trump administration, funds allocated for the CSVT project remain unaffected. Specifically, $430 million in federal funding has been earmarked for the development of this crucial infrastructure. Notably, since the northern section of the CSVT opened in June 2022, a marked decrease in truck traffic has been observed on Route 15 south of Lewisburg, indicating positive shifts in local transportation.
Further evaluation of traffic patterns is planned after the main line of the southern section becomes operational. The overarching goal of the CSVT is to connect the Route 11/15 Selinsgrove bypass with Route 147 near Montandon, enhancing travel efficiency throughout the region.
In addition to the ongoing construction efforts, an application is set to be submitted to designate Route 15 as Interstate 99 between Interstate 180 and the New York state line. Currently, the construction of a high-speed interchange to link I-99 and I-80 in the Bellefonte area has already commenced.
As for the timeline, the entire project encompasses a length of 12.4 miles. The recently updated total cost by PennDOT for this thoroughfare is approximately $938 million. Construction for the southern section specifically features a new four-lane, limited-access highway that connects Route 15 south of Winfield to Routes 11/15, north of Selinsgrove.
Among the contractors engaged in this extensive undertaking, Trumbull Corporation secured the first contract for $115.2 million, followed closely by a $106.4 million contract granted to Walsh Construction for the building of nine new bridges essential for the corridor.
As construction progresses, local roads in the area will require the implementation of flagging operations during daylight hours to manage traffic effectively in work zones. Currently, an impressive achievement includes the near completion of major earthwork, with approximately 4 million of the 4.5 million cubic yards of excavation already accomplished.
As the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway heads toward completion, it represents a substantial investment in Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, promising a significant increase in efficiency for local and regional travel.
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