Busy I-83 bridge, damaged by vehicle, to close Thursday night

The Queen Street bridge over Interstate 83 in York Township, damaged in a crash last month, will be closed Thursday night.

During the closure, a contactor will place a concrete barrier on the bridge to shift traffic away from a damaged beam. 

In addition to the bridge, the Exit 16A off-ramp from southbound I-83 to southbound Queen Street will also close for the work.

the work is expected to start at 6 p.m. Thursday and should be finished before the morning rush hour. Once it is completed, southbound Queen Street will open to two lanes of traffic and the Exit 16A off-ramp will also reopen.

More:Months of lane restrictions expected at key bridge damaged in crash: PennDOT

More:Damaged in crash last week, heavily traveled bridge over I-83 closed in one direction

Detours will be in place while the work is completed. To reach southbound Queen Street from north of the closure, take southbound I-83 to Exit 14 (Leader Heights) then take northbound I-83 back to Exit 16A and Queen Street.

To reach southbound Queen Street from southbound I-83, continue to Exit 14 and take northbound I-83 to Exit 16A.

The barrier will shift traffic away from a beam that was damaged by a recent bridge strike. The barrier will remain in place until the beam can be permanently repaired, a process that could take months, according to PennDOT.

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The Queen Street bridge sees about 20,000 cars in both directions per day, according to PennDOT spokesperson David Thompson. 

It was damaged when a vehicle hit the structure Feb. 24 while traveling north on I-83. The crash caused "severe damage to the fascia beam," Thompson said.

— Reach Matt Enright via email at menright@yorkdispatch.com or via Twitter at @Matthew_Enright.