It's official, the I-83/Mt. Rose project is a year overdue. What work still remains?

Teresa Boeckel
York Daily Record

It's been a year since the Interstate 83 Mount Rose Avenue project was expected to be completed, and at this point, 72 percent of the work is done, according to the state Department of Transportation.

As of Nov. 12, the project is a full 365 days late, and the penalties for missed deadlines continue to increase for the contractor, Cherry Hill Construction of Jessup, Md.

The $59.7 million project, which started in 2015, initially was expected to be completed in June 2018, but the deadline was extended to Nov. 12, 2018.

The project is still expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2020, said Jorge Casado, a spokesman for Tutor Perini, the parent company of Cherry Hill.

What work remains?

Bridge construction continues, widening Mount Rose Avenue at the intersection of Interstate 83, in this October 2019 view of the construction site.

PennDOT outlined the work that still needs to be completed:

  • Construction of the middle section of I-83 throughout the project
  • Reconstruction of the eastbound portion of Mount Rose Avenue from Greenhill Road to Haines Road
  • Paving of the new on and off ramps
  • Completion of traffic signal installations
  • Reconstruction of the westbound side of the bridge that carries Mount Rose Avenue over the highway
  • Reconstruction of the westbound portion of a bridge carrying Mount Rose over Mill Creek
  • Reconstruction of the westbound side of Mount Rose between Haines and Greenhill roads
  • Reconstruction of the on/off ramps on the north side of Mount Rose
  • Completion of highway lighting and signing
  • Final paving on I-83, Mount Rose Avenue and Haines Road
  • Final pavement markings

PennDOT has said that the detour loop to reach I-83 South would remain for the rest of this year. The new Mount Rose Avenue bridge over the highway needs to be completed and a traffic signal needs to be installed for the new southbound on-ramp.

Will drivers see any traffic changes soon?

Bridge construction continues widening Mount Rose Avenue as it spans  Interstate 83 in this October 2019, eastbound view.

Yes, PennDOT spokeswoman Alexis Campbell said in an email. Later this year, traffic on Mount Rose is expected to shift to the south side of the road onto the partially completed new bridge over the highway. That will allow crews to work on the north side of the road.

More:I-83/Mount Rose interchange: Contractor explains its side of the delay story

More:'It's exasperating': I-83 Mount Rose project likely headed to judicial board over disputes

More:I-83 improvements: What's happening at Mount Rose Ave., other spots

More:These 5 massive projects took less time than I-83/Mount Rose construction

Minor traffic adjustments also could take place on I-83, she wrote. PennDOT will announce any changes before they are made.

What's the latest total on the liquidated damages? 

This is looking across Mount Rose Avenue where southbound Interstate 83 exits onto the road in October 2019. New bridge construction can be seen on the lower right.

Under the terms of the contract, the damages against the contractor now total approximately $5 million for failure to meet certain milestones relating to completion of the job.

PennDOT reiterated that it has been and remains committed to enforcing the requirements outlined in the contract. The agency is "doing everything we can to get this project completed," Campbell wrote in the email.

PennDOT and the contractor remain in negotiations over the damages that are being assessed, Casado said.

"There are over 500 days of compensable days due to our company, which have yet to be resolved," Casado wrote in an email.