PennDOT opened bids on Nov. 13 for the I-83 South Bridge replacement between Harrisburg and Lemoyne. A joint venture of Joseph B. Fay Company and New Enterprise Stone & Lime Company offered $1,289,055,555.55, the lower of two bids, according to PennDOT’s bid-opening announcement.
The opening put a price on the leading bid. PennDOT still has to check that the submission meets its requirements and that the bidders are qualified to do the work. The agency said it expects to award the contract and issue a notice to proceed within six to eight weeks if the bid clears that review.
The Federal Highway Administration’s award table lists a $500 million Bridge Investment Program grant for the project in 2024. That sum is about 39 percent of the apparent low bid. The comparison shows the scale of the federal award against the construction bid; it does not show how much has been paid out or who will cover every other dollar.
The project description makes clear why the bid covers more than work over the Susquehanna River. The plans also call for redesigning the Lemoyne interchange, replacing the South Third Street bridge and rebuilding the elevated stretch between the river and Cameron Street, including the Front Street and Second Street interchange.
For drivers, the next useful dates will be in PennDOT’s construction and traffic notices. The agency expects construction to begin in 2027 and continue through 2039. It says it will give advance notice of major traffic disruptions and expects lane restrictions, traffic shifts, closures and detours during South Bridge and related East Shore work.