PA gets $500 million from Biden’s infrastructure law to replace I-83 bridge

Pennsylvania received its largest federal grant ever for an individual transportation project on Tuesday. The commonwealth is set to receive $500 million from President Joe Biden’s infrastructure law to replace the I-83 bridge in Harrisburg.

Local, state, and federal officials gathered at Harrisburg’s riverfront park on Wednesday to hear Gov. Josh Shapiro, US Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA), and US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announce a $500 million grant to help replace the aging John Harris Bridge that connects Dauphin and Cumberland counties. 

Shapiro said the reconstruction and replacement of the bridge will be transformational for the Harrisburg region and the entire commonwealth. 

“I-83, as you all know, is a vital artery here in South Central Pennsylvania,” Shapiro said. 

“It not only connects our communities on both sides of the river. It’s also a critical root for commerce and supply chains up and down the east coast of the United States.”

The 65-year old, seven lane bridge spans the mile-wide Susquehanna River, but is nearing the end of its lifespan. It carries 125,000 vehicles a day that travel along I-83. 

Buttigieg announced $5 billion in funding from the Bridge Investment Program to replace or repair 13 bridges across 16 states on Wednesday. The program is funded by President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the grant is the largest federal grant Pennsylvania has ever received for an individual transportation project.  

Logistically, the Harrisburg area serves as a major transportation hub that is within a 24-hour drive of  two-thirds of Americans, and that importance is partly a reason why every member of Pennsylvania’s Congressional Delegation supported the bridge’s reconstruction. 

“That’s how nationally recognized the logistical significance of this location is,” Buttigieg said. 

“So when a bridge like this gets to be a bottleneck, or worse, if it has to close or if [it’s] limited in an emergency, the consequences will be felt by people who’ve never driven on I-83 and couldn’t find this bridge on a map. It still affects them.”

Construction for the new project is expected to begin in 2026 and is expected to last two to three years. The new bridge will have five lanes going in each direction and the commonwealth is expected to fund the remainder of the project through the Motor Vehicle Fund. 

Shapiro told reporters that the bridge will remain toll-free once construction is completed. 

“I made that clear during my campaign I was against tolling these bridges and I continue to be against tolling these bridges,” Shapiro said. 

“And thanks to this federal investment and the work that’s going to be done here, this will be a bridge that connects families, connects commuters, connects people going to work without having to pay a toll.”