Interstate 83 Pennsylvania

Interstate 83 is one of the major highways in Pennsylvania that doesn’t go very far, yet is still a vital link in the northeastern United States. The entire length of the highway is just over 83 miles beginning in Harrisburg and ending in downtown Baltimore, Md. About 50 miles of the highway are in the northern end of south-central Pennsylvania. I-83 begins on the Harrisburg Capital Beltway as an offshoot of Interstate 81 and makes its way south across the Susquehanna River and down to the city of York. The highway connects to other major interstates as it takes you across the state line into Maryland, including Interstate 95 that takes you to Washington, D.C. and points south across the Mason Dixon Line.

The law firm of Michael J. O’Connor has had a continuing presence in the south-central Pennsylvania region having a branch office in the city of Lancaster, not far from Interstate 83.

Despite not being a cross state highway in either direction, Interstate 83 has its share of automobile, truck, motorcycle and tractor-trailer accidents. This is especially true during the peak rush hour times in the Harrisburg, Lancaster and York areas.

In the late 1990s there was talk of extending I-83 northward to Williamsport and further, since The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has been rebuilding US 15 north of Harrisburg as an expressway. With many expressway sections between it and Harrisburg, an extension of this designation seems appropriate.

However, the US 15 widening projects near Amity Hall did not result in an expressway and is an at-grade, four-lane highway with a turning lane in the middle. PennDOT has no plans to upgrade the highway to expressway standards; therefore, the Interstate designation could not proceed any further than Clarks Ferry PA.

One of the most common complaints about Interstate 83 is that it is a narrow expressway. This is because it was built before the construction standards for Interstates were created. PennDOT began a rehabilitation project in the area of Exit 14 and Exit 15 in York in May 2003. The project included: improvement of existing geometric conditions, signals at ramp intersections, construction of turning lanes at ramp intersections, widening and realignment of ramps, pavement rehabilitation and resurfacing, and bridge improvements. The project concluded on December 6, 2006 at a cost of $58 million.

An unusual accident took place on the morning of November 19, 2001, when a tractor-trailer carrying around 8,400 live chickens lost its load on Interstate 83 southbound ramp in the Eisenhower Interchange at 8:30 a.m. The driver said that he was going around the bend when the trailer tipped, and spilled the crates of live chickens onto the highway. Some of the chickens fell onto the Interstate, while others landed on the railroad tracks below. Cleanup crews acted quickly to get the birds off the highway; however, it still had to be closed for about 45 minutes and trains delayed for hours as they worked to collect the animals to keep them, and travelers from harm.

In September of 2013, a multi-vehicle crash had all lanes of northbound Interstate 83 closed in Springfield Township as of shortly before 2 p.m., according to York County dispatchers.

The crash was reported between north Exit 8 for Route 216 and north Exit 10 for Route 214, according to county dispatchers and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's traffic alert website. All northbound lanes were closed and heavy delays were reported on southbound lanes in the area, according to dispatchers.

These are some of the most newsworthy and recent accidents that took place on Interstate 83. Accidents happen on this Interstate regularly. Our firm has many years of experience with accidents on these highways, and with offices nearby, we are ready to help you with your legal needs.

The length of Interstate 83 in Pennsylvania runs 50 miles north from the Maryland border to the south of York, Pa., to the Harrisburg capital metro area where it merges with Interstate 81.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) keeps records of accidents that occur on the road every year. The latest records that are available are from 2012. The statistics are broken down into several categories depending on the vehicle type and the type of accident.

In 2012, Passenger vehicles were involved in 566 total crashes on Interstate 83. The statistics include the following: 35 angle crashes; 2 head on; 184 hit fixed object; 1 hit pedestrian; 13 non-collision; 28 other/unknown; 278 rear end; 0 sideswipe (opposite direction); 47 sideswipe (same direction).

In 2012, 12 motorcycles were involved in crashes on Interstate 83. The statistics include the following: 1 angle crash; 1 hit fixed object; 4 non-collision; 1 other/unknown; 5 rear end; 0 sideswipe (same direction).

In 2012, there were 28 cases of legally intoxicated drivers arrested on Interstate 83 after being involved in an accident. The statistics include the following: 1 angle crash; 0 head on; 18 hit fixed object; 1 non-collision; 8 rear end; 0 sideswipe (opposite direction); 0 sideswipe (same direction).

In 2012, there were 102 crashed involving heavy trucks on Interstate 83. The statistics include the following; 13 angle crashes; 0 head on; 14 hit fixed object; 1 hit pedestrian; 8 non-collision; 1 other/unknown; 39 rear end; 0 rear to rear; 0 sideswipe (opposite direction) 26 sideswipe (same direction).

In 2012, there were 39 cases of distracted drivers getting into crashes on Interstate 83. The statistics include; 1 angle crash; 8 hit fixed objects; 0 non-collision; 28 rear end; 2 sideswipe (same direction).