Eastbound Route 22 reopened into Harrisburg; traffic restricted to single lane through I-81 Exit 67

Eastbound Route 22 through the Interstate 81 Exit 67 interchange just north of the City of Harrisburg was reopened to traffic at around 3 o’clock this afternoon. This restores the eastbound connection to the City of Harrisburg which was severed by a fiery crash last Thursday, May 9. Route 22 traffic is now limited to a single lane in each direction through the I-81 Exit 67 interchange.

Eastbound Route 22 through the interchange had been closed since early Thursday morning when the intense heat from a fiery tanker crash on a ramp under the bridge in the interchange forced the closure of the bridge due to safety concerns about the stability of the structure and motorists passing underneath. Demolition has been underway since Friday to remove the eastbound Route 22 bridge from over I-81. The removal of this bridge from over I-81 is critical in making conditions safe for allowing traffic underneath on I-81. The contractor (J.D.Eckman, Inc.) is working around the clock to make this happen by Tuesday, if not earlier.

A separate contractor (Pennsy Supply, Inc.) restored the eastbound Route 22 connection to the City of Harrisburg by building median crossovers to take a single lane of eastbound traffic onto the westbound roadway, over the westbound bridge, and then back onto the eastbound roadway toward the city. Concrete barrier was placed on the westbound roadway and bridge to separate the two directions of single-lane traffic through the I-81 Exit 67 interchange.