York County expected to reap benefits from the Columbia bypass being built

(Undated) — In the past few months, drivers on Route 30 have seen a new bridge being built over the highway in western Lancaster County.

It is part of a “bypass” that is being built to take truck traffic out of downtown Columbia borough. But officials say it will have a larger impact when it comes to historic preservation, alleviating congestion and improving economic development.

Here’s more about the project and what it will mean for York County:

The new route >> The bypass will relocate Route 441 to the western side of the borough. It will take drivers from the Route 30 exit, down along the railroad tracks to Front and Locust streets. Kinsley Construction Inc. of York is doing the work for nearly $11.9 million. The project started last year. It is not clear yet when traffic will be switched over to the new route, said Mike Crochunis, a spokesman for the state Department of Transportation.

The latest on the project >> Crews are expected to begin pouring the bridge deck this week, Crochunis said. When the deck is finished, crews will begin placing and grading the subbase for the new route. Paving is scheduled for early to mid-September.

While crews are doing the grading, drivers will see barrier removal, shoulder restoration and guiderail work on Route 30 between the river bridge and the Columbia exit, Crochunis said. The crew hopes to be off of Route 30 by September so that a milling and paving project on Route 30 — being done by Pennsy Supply Inc. — can be finished.

Why Columbia wanted the bypass >> Officials had been concerned about the historic properties in the borough being damaged from the vibrations from the heavy truck traffic. The foundations of the old buildings are made of brick or stone, Mayor Leo Lutz said.

Some of the trucks also have had trouble making the tight turns at intersections, and truck drivers have had concerns driving through the town because of pedestrians and people opening car doors.

The bypass is expected to remove about 600 trucks a day from the borough, according to Columbia borough’s website.

“This will actually be a faster route,” Lutz said.

With the removal of the truck traffic, the borough plans to focus revitalization. A street beautification project is planned for Third Street, the gateway into the borough from Route 30.

What it will mean for York County travelers >> The new bypass is expected to help alleviate some of the congestion that occurs when Route 30 is closed or backed up because of a crash, Lutz said.

But the improvements will be beneficial to Wrightsville, which is only a mile away across the Susquehanna River.

Along with the bypass, the last section of the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail is expected to be finished this year. That means that people will be able to travel between the river towns of Wrightsville, Columbia and Marietta a different way — by walking or biking, Wrightsville Mayor Neil Habecker said.

Habecker said he and Lutz want to see improved pedestrian and biking paths on the Route 462 bridge when PennDOT rehabilitates the bridge in a few years.

Contact Teresa Boeckel at (717) 771-2031.

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This article comes to us through a partnership between York Daily Record and WITF.