The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced recently that a study is underway to investigate why mayflies are attracted to the above-deck lighting on the Route 462 Veterans Memorial (Columbia-Wrightsville) Bridge, which spans the Susquehanna River and connects the Borough of Columbia and West Hempfield Township in Lancaster County and the Borough of Wrightsville in York County. The goal of the study is to identify potential changes to the lighting that could be made in conjunction with a future bridge rehabilitation project.
The bridge lighting was replaced in 2014 with historic reproduction lanterns. This had the unforeseen effect of attracting swarms of mayflies to the top of the bridge. As a result, bridge lighting is turned off during the annual mayfly season to avoid the swarming and the problems that have arisen from it.
This study, in partnership with the local municipalities, aims to determine why mayflies are attracted to the bridge's lights with the ultimate goal of devising a solution that may reduce the number of mayflies on the bridge. Potential solutions may include making minor changes to the lighting and/or adding lighting under the bridge. The City of Harrisburg is also a cooperative partner in the study by allowing the Market Street Bridge's under-bridge lighting colors to be varied as part of the testing to determine its attractiveness to or deterrence of mayflies.
Tests involve leaving the majority of lights turned off on the bridge, while three evenly-spaced groupings of lights, each consisting of four light fixtures, will remain on. The illuminated fixtures will have different colors or shades of light, and, for part of the testing, may be shielded to partially block the light in certain directions.
Additionally, floodlight fixtures will be suspended from the edge of the bridge at select locations to shine light underneath the bridge. Independent researchers, as part of the broader team, will analyze the collected data and develop recommendations. The various testing stages will take place through Friday, June 26, and are weather dependent.
Motorists may experience minor delays while the work is being performed. Pedestrians should use caution along the sidewalk when passing the contractor's vehicle. Motorists are advised to slow down and use extra caution during the testing events for their own safety and for that of PennDOT's workers.
The public will be notified in advance of the testing. Message boards placed on each end of the bridge on the nights of testing will also alert motorists and pedestrians. Depending on weather and the level of mayfly activity, testing is anticipated to last up to three nights during the two-week data collection period. Workers will be on-site at various times during these nighttime tests to observe mayfly interaction with the lights, record light level readings, and take photographs.
Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.
For more information on projects occurring or being bid on this year, those made possible by or accelerated by the state transportation funding plan (Act 89), or those on the department's four- and 12-year plans, readers may visit http://www.projects.penndot.gov.
Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting http://www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 950 traffic cameras, 103 of which are in the mid-state. 511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 511, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible at http://www.511PA.com.
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