Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor Improvement Project
Creating a Stronger Connection between Downtown Erie and the Waterfront
June 2021
Continued Design Efforts Bring Updates and Refinements to Concept
The design phase for the Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor Improvement Project continues to move forward as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and its consultant team refine the concept for updates at the Sassafras Street Extension, State Street, and Holland Street intersections.
One way this is being done is through the peer review process for the roundabouts and pedestrian bridge at Holland. The last edition of the newsletter included details about what a peer review is. This edition will include details about those findings and other updates to the chosen design alternative for the Bayfront Parkway.
Roundabouts
In February, Kittleson & Associates of Harrisburg led a peer review committee discussion on their findings pertaining to the roundabouts planned for the Sassafras and Holland intersections.
Among their adopted recommendations is one to decrease the number of lanes from two to one at both intersections where the streets lead into the roundabout on the waterfront side. This modification to the earlier plan will further enhance pedestrian safety by shortening the length of their crossing at those locations.
The team also examined the Holland entry point on the city side of the roundabout and was able to redesign the entry point to maintain two lanes but cause less disruption to the utilities located in that area.
These recommendations were made based on traffic analysis of the area now and predicted traffic volumes for the design year of 2040.
Additionally, PennDOT has opened talks with the City of Erie about constructing raised crosswalks on the waterfront side of the roundabouts to augment the other planned improvements to provide additional pedestrian safety amenities along the Bayfront.
Pedestrian Bridges
A second peer review committee meeting focused on the pedestrian bridge at Holland was held in March under the guidance of T.Y. Lin International of Philadelphia. During this virtual gathering, the team presented six possible design ideas that improve upon the initial concept.
Some of the proposal presented were overall recommendations that shorten the length of the bridge and the ramp structure, decrease possible construction costs, and enhance the pedestrian experience. Other parts of the presentation focused more on the aesthetics of the bridge and what it could look like given all the factors at that location, including the hillside, railroad tracks, street width, and nearby transit hub.
Among the design considerations is ensuring that this bridge complements the future pedestrian bridges at Sassafras Extension and State streets. Those structures are planned to be built during later phases on the project.
Discussions on the different options continue as maintenance agreements will be needed before construction can commence.
State Street
In addition to the two peer review meetings, PennDOT continued its traditional design process of gathering public feedback, evaluating plans, and modifying the proposal when appropriate. At the State Street intersection, the curb radii have been revised to further reduce the pedestrian crossing distances, as can be seen in the graphic above. Additional space will be created to allow for a greater buffer between the motorized traffic and those using the multiuse trail.
Updates Shared
Information on all the proposed updates is available online. Presentations and feedback from each peer review has been posted at www.BayfrontParkwayProject.com.
PennDOT also presented a project update to the City of Erie Council on May 6, 2021. The slides shown during that presentation, including information on the State Street changes are available to view online as well.
Plans are also moving forward to hold a public meeting in the summer to present these recommendations and other updates.
Additional design enhancement at State Street will further decrease the length of the pedestrian crossings.
Important Project Dates
- Access Improvements at Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home: Contract awarded Spring 2021
- Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor Virtual Public Meeting: Summer 2021
- 12th Street Traffic Signal and East Bayfront Supplemental Projects: Construction starting in 2021
- Bayfront Parkway Central Corridor Project Phase 1: Anticipated start of construction in late 2022
The Purpose of the project is to improve the pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and passenger vehicle connection of the Erie Central Business District and adjacent neighborhoods to the waterfront property north of the Bayfront Parkway, reduce crashes as much as practical on the Bayfront Parkway, improve future congestion to an acceptable level of service or delay, and improve traffic operations and efficiency.
Bridge Work to Begin Near Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home
Work will start soon to construct a new bridge near the Soldier’s and Sailors’ Home in Erie.
The multi-use bridge will provide access to pedestrians and vehicles over the railroad tracks between the home and the cemetery, replacing the existing at-grade crossing.
Future plans call for CSX to expand the number of the tracks in that area for needed railroad car storage. Once that is completed, the portion of tracks between State Street and Holland Street will be removed to make space to upgrades at those intersections.
Construction of the bridge is expected to start in late May 2021, and be completed by Spring 2022. Work will be done by Chivers Construction Company, Inc of Fairview, PA. The contract cost is $2.7 million.
Tell us what you like about the project or about concerns you may have by going online to www.BayfrontParkwayProject.com or www.PennDOT.gov/District1 or contacting PennDOT Project Manager Tom McClelland, P.E., at 814-678-7081 or thmcclella@pa.gov.