Public Notice
U.S. Army Corps In Reply to File Number NAB-2020-00388-P07 (PA DOT-
of Engineers Interstate 83 South Bridge over Susquehanna River)
Baltimore District
PN-23-43 Comment Period: October 5, 2023 to November 4, 2023
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC NOTICE IS TO INFORM INTERESTED PARTIES OF THE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND AVAILABILITY OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE INTERSTATE 83 (I-83) SOUTH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND THE PROPOSED ACTIVITY AND TO SOLICIT COMMENTS. NO DECISION HAS BEEN MADE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED AT THIS TIME.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) District 8-0 and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in cooperation with the United States Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, will conduct Joint Public Hearings on
November 1, 2023 and November 2, 2023, for the I-83 South Bridge Replacement Project (also known as the John Harris Memorial Bridge Replacement Project), located over the Susquehanna River in Dauphin and Cumberland Counties, Pennsylvania.
The hearing will be conducted as part of the PennDOT/FHWA 30-day comment period for the Environmental Assessment (EA). The PennDOT/FHWA public review and comment period begins on October 17, 2023 and will end on November 16, 2023. The Baltimore District will accept comments related to Section 404 Clean Water Act regulations and Section 10 Rivers and Harbors Act regulations related to the Draft EA from October 5, 2023 through November 4, 2023
The EA analyzes environmental impacts associated with the proposed bridge replacement and associated improvements, pursuant to the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969. The proposed I-83 South Bridge Replacement involves replacing the existing structure that conveys I-83 traffic across the Susquehanna River.
The no-build, bridge rehabilitation, transportation redirection, and build alternatives are considered in the EA. The build alternative that was forwarded in the EA proposes 1.88 acre of permanent fill within the Susquehanna River for bridge piers; and 4.02 acre of temporary fills supporting demolition and construction. Affected resources include Waters of the United States, including wetlands, and areas of submerged aquatic vegetation. Indirect and secondary effects include an increase in shading over the Susquehanna River.
The Draft EA and supporting technical files are available for public review on the project website at: https://www.penndot.gov/i83SouthBridge
An open house display on the project will begin at 3:30 PM and will remain open until the end of the hearing at 7:00 PM. Formal public testimony opportunities will begin at 4:30 PM and 6:00 PM each day, with a break in between sessions.
All materials that will be presented during the open house, including a project overview, maps, and EA documents will be available online at www.penndot.pa.gov/i83SouthBridge from October 17 to November 16, 2023.
Interested parties would select the “Environmental Assessment Report-October 2023” from the menu bar on the right side of the screen. The EA will also be available for review by the public at two public hearings.
The EA and supporting technical files are being made available for public review at the PennDOT Engineering District 8-0 and at the Federal Highway Administration Office during regular business hours.
The EA will also be available for review during normal working hours at the following locations:
PennDOT District 8 Office, 2140 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103.
Federal Highway Administration Office, PA Division, 30 North Third Street, Suite 700, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
McCormick Riverfront Library, 101 Walnut Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Cleve J Fredricksen Library, 100 N 19th Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011.
Camp Hill Borough, 2145 Walnut Street, Camp Hill, PA 17011.
New Cumberland Borough Hall, 1120 Market Street, New Cumberland, PA 17070.
Lemoyne Borough, 510 Herman Avenue, Lemoyne, PA 17043.
City of Harrisburg, 10 N 2nd Street, Harrisburg, PA 17101.
Kline Library, 530 S 29th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.
Bethesda Mission Community Center, 1438 Herr Street, Harrisburg, PA 17103.
The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region, 506 S 29th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.
The Latino Hispanic American Community Center, 1301 Derry Street, Harrisburg, PA 17104.
In-person public hearings to receive public testimony on the EA have been scheduled for:
November 1, 2023: Hotel Indigo Harrisburg, 765 Eisenhower Boulevard, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17111
November 2, 2023: Penn Harris Hotel, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill, Pennsylvania 17011.
Doors will open to the facilities at 3:30 PM. Public Testimony at the hearings will begin at 4:30 PM, each day.
Those providing public testimony are asked to register in advance by calling 717-743-1005. Testimony times will be scheduled in 5-minute blocks and can be supplemented with written testimony.
The following persons can be contacted for information regarding this project:
Marwa Said, P.E.
Project Manager and Assistant Bridge Engineer
Penn DOT District 8-0, 2140 Herr Street
Harrisburg, PA 17103-1699
Telephone: (717) 783-3773
email: msaid@pa.gov
Julia Moore
Senior Environmental Specialist
U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Pennsylvania Division
30 North Third Street, Suite 700
Harrisburg, PA 17101
Telephone: (717) 221-4585
email: Julia.moore@dot.gov
Comments regarding impacts to waters of the United States, including wetlands may be submitted to the Baltimore District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers via electronic mail to nab.regulatory@usace.army.mil. The email subject line should include the project number, NAB-2020-00388-P07. Comments should be received by the Corps before November 4, 2023.
Written comments may also be mailed to:
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District
Attn: John Gibble, Transportation Program Manager
401 East Louther Street, Suite 205
Carlisle, Pennsylvania 17013
For persons interested in the public hearing, but unable to attend the live hearings to provide testimony, the introductory remarks and hearing handouts will be available on the PennDOT project website.
General information regarding the Corps’ permitting process can be found on our website: https://www.nab.usace.army.mil/missions/regulatory/
This public notice has been prepared in accordance with Corps implementing regulations at 33 CFR 325.3. If you have any questions concerning this specific project or would like to request a paper copy of this public notice, please contact John Gibble at 717-249-9457 or by email at john.gibble@usace.army.mil. This public notice is issued by the Chief, Regulatory Branch.