Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway

Highway under construction in Pennsylvania

Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway

CSVT mainline highlighted in red
PA 61 connector highlighted in blue

Route information
Maintained by PennDOT
Length| 10.844 mi (17.452 km)
Existed| August 2022–present
History| Northern segment opened in 2022
Component
highways|

* PA 147 from Winfield to West Chillisquaque Township

Major junctions
South end|  US 15 in Union Township
Major intersections|

* PA 405 in Point Township

North end|  PA 147 in West Chillisquaque Township
Location
Country| United States
State| Pennsylvania
Highway system

* Pennsylvania State Route System

* Interstate
* US
* State
* Scenic
* Legislative

The Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway (CSVT), also known as the Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project, is a partially-completed 10.84-mile (17.45 km) highway bypass along the U.S. Route 15 (US 15) corridor near Shamokin Dam, Pennsylvania. It has been designated as part of Corridor P-1 of the Appalachian Development Highway System by the Appalachian Regional Commission.[1] When complete, it will carry US 15 and Pennsylvania Route 147 (PA 147) over varying stretches of its length. The project includes the construction of a new bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River and 11.7 miles (18.8 km) of new roadway, including a short freeway connection to PA 61.[2] The first phase of the project, connecting US 15 in Winfield with PA 147 near Montandon, opened in August 2022.[3]

## History

[edit]

Near Selinsgrove, PA, U.S. 11/15 are routed along a freeway-grade bypass. However, just north of the town, at Hummels Wharf, the freeway ends at a partially abandoned interchange with U.S. 522. Here, U.S. 11/15 transfers to surface streets. A bypass around the community was originally planned, the study was completed in 1959,[4] but the idea was abandoned in 1978 when funding ran out.[5]

Previously, completion of the bypass had been considered as part of a proposal to extend Interstate 83 from its current terminus at Interstate 81 just north of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Interstate 86/NY 17 in Corning, New York, but with the establishment of U.S. 15 north of Williamsport, Pennsylvania as part of the future Interstate 99 corridor, this concept was dropped.[6] Without additional reconstruction of U.S. 22/322 and U.S. 11/15 south of Selinsgrove, the farthest I-83 could currently be extended would be just across the Clarks Ferry Bridge (which currently carries U.S. 22/322 across the Susquehanna River) to an at-grade intersection with PA 849 near Duncannon.

### Revival

[edit]

In the mid-2000s, interest in the bypass has been revived as part of a plan for a continuous highway from the Harrisburg area, north to Williamsport. Part of this may be due to the late 2000s emergence of natural gas drilling in the Marcellus shale in the northern tier of the state. Due to the natural gas boom and increased logistical demands associated with it, Mark Murawski of the Route 15 Coalition estimates that traffic will triple along the route.[7] U.S. Route 15 north of Williamport has also been upgraded to interstate standards as a part of the future Interstate 99 resulting in an increase in traffic along the U.S. Route 15 corridor.

### Funding

[edit]

Former Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is reported to have promised $51 million for the project, but his term in office expired before any of the money was allocated. On April 3, 2013, PennDOT announced that the state would commit to allocate $558 million for the project over the following 10 years, pending approval by the General Assembly.[2]

The project was included in the proposed $1.8 billion FY 2014 Pennsylvania transportation budget, however, that budget was not approved, creating further uncertainty for the project.[8] A $2.3 billion budget was later passed by the General Assembly and signed by then-Governor Tom Corbett, granting over $500 million for the Thruway, as well as funding other major transportation projects in the state.[9][10] In December, 2022, the project received $63 million in federal aid from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).[11]

### Construction

[edit]

Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway bridge over the Susquehanna River under construction

The project is expected to take approximately 11 years to construct, with an expected completion date of 2027. The first contract, for the bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River, was awarded in August 2015,[12] with construction of the bridge commencing the following year. This was followed soon after by a second contract for smaller spans north of the main bridge.[13] Construction on the bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River took place and, as of late 2018, was about 75% complete.[14] In 2020, construction of the bridge was completed.[15] On June 25, 2022, about 6,000 people toured the bridge over the West Branch Susquehanna River bridge via foot and bicycle ahead of it opening to traffic.[16] A ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the completion of the northern section was held on June 29, 2022, with U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr., U.S. Representative Fred Keller, and state and local politicians and officials in attendance.[17] The northbound lanes of the northern section of the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway running from US 15 north across the river to PA 147 opened to traffic on July 7, 2022, with the southbound lanes opening the following day.[18] Construction of the entire northern section was finished by the end of 2022.[19] With the opening of the northern section, PA 147 was rerouted to follow the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway to US 15, where it continues south concurrent with US 15 and PA 61 to rejoin its original alignment in Sunbury, while PA 405 was extended south along the former alignment of PA 147 to PA 61 in Sunbury.[20]

Construction of the second phase south of Winfield was delayed when coal ash ponds on the route were found to be unsuitable for supporting surface highway construction.[21] The design was revised to avoid the ash basins.[22] Construction of the southern section began in 2022 and is expected to be complete by 2027.

## Route description

[edit]

The currently opened section of the highway begins just south of Chillsquaque, where PA 147 had formerly intersected PA 405 and downgraded from the existing divided highway segment to its surface alignment. The freeway continues south from here as PA 147, running parallel to PA 405, which has replaced PA 147 along its old alignment to Northumberland and Sunbury. After a partial cloverleaf interchange at Ridge Road, the freeway turns southwest and crosses PA 405 and the West Branch Susquehanna River on a high bridge, crossing from Northumberland into Union County. At the southwest end of the bridge, the open section of the CSVT terminates at an intersection with U.S. 15 several miles south of Winfield, in Union Township, Union County. From here, PA 147 temporarily continues south concurrently with U.S. 15, then meets its new permanent alignment at the Veterans Memorial Bridge and crosses the Susquehanna that bridge to meet its former alignment in Sunbury.

The section currently under construction continues south from the intersection with U.S. 15\. This section will carry U.S. 15 and PA 147 concurrently south to a new trumpet interchange, from which a new spur of the highway will extend PA 61 from the Veterans Memorial Bridge to the CSVT. This spur will also carry a concurrency with PA 147\. South of this interchange, the freeway will continue carrying U.S. 15 around the western side of Shamokin Dam and Hummels Wharf. The current section of U.S. 11/15 along Susquehanna Trail will continue to carry U.S. 11, but also U.S. 15 Business. The bypass will then meet back up with the existing U.S. 11/15 alignment at the partially completed interchange with U.S. 522, where those highways currently leaves the expressway.[23]

When completed, the CSVT will provide the missing link in the four-lane, mostly limited-access route between Harrisburg and Corning, New York (and by extension, Baltimore, Maryland and Rochester, New York) aligned with the Susquehanna River.

## Exit list

[edit]

### Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway

[edit]

County| Location| mi| km| Destinations| Notes

|
|
|
|
|

Snyder| Monroe Township| 0.00| 0.00|

US 11 south / US 15 south – Harrisburg

* * *

US 11 north / US 15 Bus. north / US 522 south – Selinsgrove, Shamokin Dam| Southern terminus of CSVT; freeway continues south as US 11/US 15
Shamokin Dam| 4.23| 6.81|

PA 61 south / PA 147 south to US 11 / US 15 Bus.| PA 61 connector; southern terminus of PA 147 concurrency
Union| Union Township| 6.64| 10.69|

To US 15 Bus. south – Selinsgrove

* * *

US 15 north – Winfield| Northern end of US 15 concurrency; access to US 15 Bus. via County Line Road
West Branch Susquehanna River| 7.25–
8.12| 11.67–
13.07| CSVT River Bridge
Northumberland| West Chillisquaque Township| 8.67| 13.95|
Ridge Road to PA 405 – Northumberland|
10.84| 17.45|

PA 147 north to I-80 / I-180 west – Milton| Northern terminus of CSVT; freeway continues north as PA 147
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

* Concurrency terminus
* Unopened

### PA 61 connector

[edit]

The entire route is in Shamokin Dam, Snyder County. All exits are unnumbered.

mi| km| Destinations| Notes

|
|
|

0.00| 0.00|
US 15 south

* * *

US 15 north / PA 147 north| Northern terminus of PA 61 connector; Northern terminus of PA 147 concurrency
0.86| 1.38|
US 11 / US 15 Bus. – Shamokin Dam| Current northern terminus of PA 61
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

* Concurrency terminus

## See also

[edit]

* U.S. Roads portal
* Pennsylvania portal
* Interstate 83

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project Homepage". csvt.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
2. ^ a b Wislock, Ashley (April 3, 2013). "Governor: State can fund Snyder County bypass project". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
3. ^ "Governor Wolf Announces Bids Opened for Fourth CSVT Contract" (PDF). September 13, 2018. Retrieved 2020-08-03.
4. ^ "After a Half-Century, a Vital Highway Link Progresses in Pennsylvania | Engineering News-Record". www.enr.com. Retrieved 2024-06-29.
5. ^ Carney, Christopher P. (July 17, 2007). "Oberstar: I Am Very Optimistic About This Project". Office of Christopher P. Carney, 10th Legislative District. Archived from the original on August 5, 2009. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
6. ^ Aaroads - Corridor 9 Archived 2014-10-24 at the Wayback Machine
7. ^ Pursell, Tricia (July 29, 2011). "Shale Boom Compels Thruway". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. Retrieved 10 March 2013.
8. ^ Wheary, Rob (July 7, 2013). "Without Funding, Thruway is 'in limbo'". The News-Item. Shamokin, PA. Archived from the original on 10 July 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
9. ^ Wheary, Rob (November 20, 2013). "[State Representatives] Culver, Masser pleased with House approval of transportation plan". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
10. ^ "Governor Signs Transportation Bill That Promises to Build Local Bypass". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. November 25, 2013. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
11. ^ "Casey Announces $69 Million for Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Construction". December 19, 2022. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
12. ^ Beauge, John (September 11, 2014). "Upstate Route 11/15 Project to be Economic 'Game Changer,' Economist Says". pennlive.com. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
13. ^ Scicchitano, Eric (May 28, 2015). "Contract on 'Colossal' Susquehanna Span to be Awarded in August". The News-Item. Shamokin, PA. Archived from the original on July 29, 2015. Retrieved May 31, 2015.
14. ^ Dandes, Rick (December 31, 2018). "No. 2: Bridge work dominates CSVT construction project". Sunbury, PA. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
15. ^ Beauge, John (December 18, 2020). "After 5 years, the Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway bridge is 'basically' completed". PennLive. Retrieved December 21, 2020.
16. ^ Beauge, John (June 25, 2022). "6,000 get close up of new nearly mile-long Susquehanna River bridge thruway". PennLive. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
17. ^ Moore, Marcia (June 29, 2022). "Northern section of CSVT to open next week". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
18. ^ Dandes, Rick (July 8, 2022). "CSVT bridge opened to traffic in both directions". The Daily Item. Sunbury, PA. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
19. ^ Strawser, Justin (May 13, 2022). "Northern CSVT will be open to traffic in July; work on southern section to start Monday". Sunbury, PA. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
20. ^ "Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project - Commemoration Of Northern Section Opening And Southern Section Groundbreaking" (PDF). Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Summer 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
21. ^ "Fly Ash Waste Basins Fact Sheet (January 2017)" (PDF). Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway Project Site. Jan 2017. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
22. ^ Beauge, John (2017-01-21). "Unexpected issue forces change in Routes 11/15 thruway project". pennlive. Retrieved 2024-09-27.
23. ^ "Central Susquehanna Valley Transportation Project - Proposed Roadway Designations" (PDF). csvt.com. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2015.

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Central Susquehanna Valley Thruway.

* Proposed route
* Official PennDOT website