Driving to Harrisburg Gets Easier, I-81 Given the All Clear

Driving from State College to Harrisburg should be a lot easier now that I-81 is mostly back to normal. The heavily-traveled interstate reopened last night just after 7:30 p.m., ending a traffic nightmare that dragged on for nearly five days.

A section of I-81 near the Route 22/322 interchange was shut down following a fiery accident last week. A tractor trailer loaded with diesel fuel overturned and exploded in flames. The resulting fire burned for hours. Traffic detours were in effect for most of the weekend while crews cleaned up the mess. The Route 22 span over I-81 had to be removed.

Motorists were forced to take alternative routes to enter the city of Harrisburg — I-81 North to Progress Avenue at Exit 69 or I-81 South to Front Street at Exit 66, which created long delays.

While all of I-81 is now open for traffic, the job is not yet done.

“The deck of the ramp where the tanker truck overturned needs to be replaced, but this can happen later, while I-81 is open to traffic,” said PennDOT District 8 Community Relations Coordinator Greg Penny. “Protective shielding has been installed under this bridge to protect motorists.”

The Route 22 span will also be replaced.

Still, the reopening is welcoming news for anyone traveling into the Harrisburg area.