"We made the decision that we were going to stay with the four lanes as it exists currently," PennDOT project manager Pharon Bertsch told TheBurg at an August 2026 open house in Harrisburg City Hall. That quote describes the finished bridge. The traffic plan for getting there looks different. Through the middle phases of construction, the bridge connecting Lemoyne and Wormleysburg to City Island and downtown Harrisburg carries one lane of through traffic in one direction. All traffic going the other way is sent to the Harvey Taylor Bridge.
PennDOT lists the project's proposed construction window as 2027 to 2034, with an estimated construction cost of $149 million. If you buy a house in Lemoyne this fall and stay a typical stretch, you own it through all of it. A listing sheet won't show that, and a county median won't price it in. What matters for a buyer comparing West Shore boroughs is which half of a round trip the detour lands on, and when that flips.
Read the phase sequence as a commute
The Maintenance and Protection of Traffic section on PennDOT's Market Street Bridge project page, last updated August 2026, lays out the sequence. Two-way traffic stays open between each shore and City Island. Shore-to-shore traffic runs one way.
| Phase | What stays on the bridge | What detours to Harvey Taylor | For a Lemoyne-to-Harrisburg commuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1A–1B | Existing lanes, apart from short-term closures | Nothing long-term | Close to today's trip while the utility bridge goes up |
| 2A–2C | One westbound lane, upstream side | All eastbound traffic | The morning drive into the city takes the detour |
| 3A–3C | One eastbound lane, new downstream side | All westbound traffic | The drive home takes the detour |
| 4A | One eastbound lane | All westbound traffic | The drive home detours; City Island reachable from the west shore |
| 4B | One westbound lane, new upstream side | All eastbound traffic | The morning drive detours again; City Island reachable from the east shore |
PennDOT's published sequence doesn't show a full shutdown to vehicles. It does show a crossing that works in one direction for years at a stretch. TheBurg's August 2026 report says construction is slated to start in summer 2027. The utility bridge would take the first two years, and the rehab would follow over four years. PennDOT's own page gives only the 2027 to 2034 range, so treat those phase lengths as approximate. On that rough timeline, the one-way years would start around 2029.
The utility bridge is the reason the schedule isn't longer. PennDOT says the $14 million structure moves the gas transmission lines, fiber, and sewer line off the main bridges before any lane closures. Without it, the department estimated four to six more years of traffic impacts.
Walking and biking get their own plan. PennDOT says bike and pedestrian access across the river will be provided for the whole project. The existing upstream sidewalk stays open, and the utility bridge's 14-foot path opens during Phase 3. The public display boards show the bridge marked closed to pedestrians and cyclists in some phases, which doesn't match the project page. If you plan to walk or bike to work, ask PennDOT directly before you count on either version.
Lemoyne's own stretch of Market Street changes first
The bridge sits at the east end of a second project. The Lemoyne Bottleneck Improvements cover Market Street from South Third Street to the bridge. PennDOT's page lists construction from Winter/Spring 2027 through Fall 2027. That page was last updated in June 2025, and the schedule depends on approvals, environmental clearance, and funding. Preliminary work has already happened. PennDOT scheduled utility locating and survey work on Market and Front streets for August 24 to 29, 2026. Its release still estimated construction for 2027.
The recommended design, Alternative 2, changes how the corridor works day to day. It's shown on a plan sheet dated January 2024, so details may have shifted during final design.
- Lane split: one eastbound lane and two westbound lanes, with shoulders and an 8-foot shared-use path on each side.
- Market and Front: a new signal, a channelizing island, eastbound left- and right-turn lanes, and a relocated crosswalk with a pedestrian refuge.
- Market and Third: a realigned decorative crosswalk, a bicycle left-turn queue box, and driveway limits that include a right-in-only driveway, with full access routed from Third Street.
- Property: right-of-way strips or temporary construction easements from about seven parcels along the corridor.
During construction, PennDOT plans several stages and may use short-term partial or weekend detours. Access for businesses and emergency services stays open throughout. PennDOT says the two projects are being coordinated, along with the I-83 South Bridge replacement, which is also in design. It hasn't said whether the schedules will overlap.
Why the four-lane reversal matters for the finished corridor
In July 2025, PennLive and TheBurg reported a proposal that would have cut one lane from each span. PennDOT dropped that idea. Bertsch said the city pushed for the change. He also pointed to a regional reason: if the Harvey Taylor Bridge ever needs maintenance, Market Street's four lanes can serve as the alternate route. Senators President Kevin Kulp, who had worried the lane cut would make City Island harder to reach for baseball games, said he was happy with the result. "People are going to be able to access the island from both directions," he said.
When the work is done, Lemoyne's gateway has the same four 10-foot lanes, a wider upstream sidewalk, shoulders on both spans, and a separate bike and pedestrian path. PennDOT says that path will connect to the Capital Area Greenbelt's upper trail on the Harrisburg end and to the Bottleneck improvements on the Lemoyne end. Cumberland County cyclist Marilyn Chastek called the design "less than perfect" given its constraints and said that overall, "it's going to be safe for people who walk and bike." A buyer is choosing between the construction years and what comes after them, and the timeline decides how much of each a given owner lives with.
The market moves faster than most buyers' homework
Cumberland County numbers show why this rarely comes up before an offer. In August 2026, the county's median sold price was $361,630, up 7.9% from August 2025. There were 274 closed sales, and median days on market was 9. Average days on market was 27, up from 17 a year earlier. Active listings rose 6.3% to 556, and months of supply was 2.12.
These are countywide figures. The Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors publishes monthly reports by county, not for Lemoyne's 17043 ZIP code. September numbers weren't due as of early October. So there's no published local figure showing whether Lemoyne prices already reflect the construction calendar. What the county numbers do show is that the typical listing went under contract in about nine days. That leaves little time to look up a phase table before writing an offer. The rising averages and inventory suggest some buyers have a bit more time than a year ago, and that time is worth spending here.
Questions to settle before an offer on a Lemoyne house
- Which way is your daily commute? Under the phase plan, a morning drive into Harrisburg detours in Phases 2 and 4B, and the drive home detours in Phases 3 and 4A.
- Does the house front Market Street between Third Street and the bridge? If so, check the Alternative 2 plan sheets for driveway changes and ask whether the parcel is one of the roughly seven needing right-of-way or easements.
- How long do you plan to own? A sale in 2028 and a sale in 2033 land at very different points in the sequence.
- Do you walk or bike across? Confirm the sidewalk access plan with PennDOT, since the project page and the display boards differ.
Sellers face the same calendar in reverse. Phases 1A and 1B keep the existing lanes open apart from short-term closures, so a Lemoyne listing in 2027 or 2028 meets buyers before any long-term one-way pattern begins.
Quick answers
Will the Market Street Bridge fully close? PennDOT's published sequence doesn't show a full vehicle closure. In Phases 2 through 4, one direction stays on the bridge and the other detours to the Harvey Taylor Bridge.
Can I still get to City Island? Yes. PennDOT says each shore keeps access to the island during construction, with one-shore access during Phases 4A and 4B. Bus stops and parking lots on City Island stay open in every phase.
Is the Bottleneck schedule final? No. Its project page dates from June 2025, and the 2027 window depends on approvals and funding.
If you're thinking about buying or selling a Lemoyne home around the 2027 start, The Got Bob Hoobler Team can help you line up your closing date and the house's location against PennDOT's phase plan before you commit. Start with a free instant home valuation to see where your Lemoyne property stands now.
