Controversial Eisenhower Drive project is on hold because of COVID-19, PennDOT says

With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the controversial Eisenhower Drive Extension project remains on hold until a public hearing can be held.

The state Department of Transportation wants to hear what residents think about the high-profile project, which is intended to alleviate traffic congestion in southwestern York County and southeastern Adams County.

But it's difficult to hold a hearing with restrictions in place on public gatherings because of COVID-19, senior design manager Ben Singer said. Public hearings must be advertised about a month in advance, and it's uncertain what the future holds.

Hosting a virtual meeting is not possible because some people do not have the internet.

"We can't do it when a group of people could be excluded," Singer said.

The controversy surrounds whether Eisenhower Drive should be extended through a rural area or improvements should be made to the already-existing roadway network, which could displace 53 homes and businesses in Hanover. A third option is to do nothing at all.

More:Eisenhower Drive project: Pandemic delays public hearing

More:Road work in 2021: What's planned in central Pennsylvania, plus the pandemic's impact

Delone Catholic High School students wrote letters to the editor recently about the project as part of an assignment for an American government class. They watched videos, read articles and learned how the project would affect different people. 

Julia O'Brien of Berwick Township said her family has seen traffic congestion increase in the region over the past few decades, and now is the opportunity to address it.

O'Brien, who is a senior at the school in McSherrystown, wrote in her letter that she supports the Transportation System Management plan, which would make improvements to the existing network.

She's concerned that an extension of Eisenhower Drive would take away farmland and invite more development to the area. "The Golden Mile," as Eisenhower Drive is called, was farmland years ago. 

"The more building that you do, the more traffic that it causes," O'Brien said during a phone interview. 

More:PennDOT is down to three options for the Eisenhower Extension Project

More:The history of the Eisenhower Extension project

Abby Rupp of Penn Township said she wasn't aware of the project before the assignment, but the plan is something she and her friends know about.

The teacher asked students to give their opinion, such as in a letter to the editor, a video or a podcast, the high school senior said. 

She, too, wrote that the TSM plan is the best option.

Not everyone agrees.

Hanover borough, Penn Township and the York Area Metropolitan Planning Organization have approved resolutions in opposition of the TSM plan, which would displace homes and businesses. Former Hanover Mayor Myneca Ojo has said the concept would crush the community.

Hanover attorney Arthur Becker Jr. called the plan "reckless and irresponsible” during a meeting last year. 

"People are outraged for good reason," he said. "People who have invested their life savings in their homes and businesses are now being told they may lose those homes and businesses..." 

Meanwhile, at least one billboard recently went up in the area, supporting the no-build option. It doesn't state who paid for the advertisement.

The Adams County Transportation Planning Organization adopted a resolution last summer that opposes the TSM and the no-build option.

Route 116 bridge replacement

Meanwhile, PennDOT plans to replace a bridge on Route 116 over the South Branch of Conewago Creek in Union and Conewago townships.

It is not related to the Eisenhower Drive Extension project, according to PennDOT.

The bridge, which was built in 1932, is old and needs to be replaced, Singer said.

The project is expected to go out for bid this year, he said. Construction will likely start in early 2022.