The George N. Wade Memorial Bridge, also known as the North Bridge, carries Interstate 81 (I-81) and the Capital Beltway across the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania."Assembly OKs Miner Disability Increase." Hanover, Pennsylvania: The Evening Sun, November 25, 1969, p. 1 (subscription required).
History and architectural features Bridge construction began during the late 1960s.George Wade Bridge Rehabilitation Project, Dauphin County , Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, retrieved February 25, 2010. On August 16, 1973, the bridge was dedicated and the three westbound lanes were opened to traffic in a ceremony officiated by Governor Milton Shapp. The eastbound lanes opened on August 31, 1973.
This bridge is long and varies in width from to . It carries six lanes of traffic and has two collector road and five ramp connections. Average daily traffic counts for this section of I-81 are nearly 32,000 vehicles in each direction. While I-81 is officially a northsouth Interstate, the bridge runs in a roughly eastwest alignment.
A $36.5 million rehabilitation of the bridge began in 2009 and was scheduled to be completed in early 2012;"Next long-term I-81 ramp closure to start next week." Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Sentinel, August 30, 2012, p. 3 (subscription required). however, additional repairs were undertaken in subsequent years.Creason, Naomi. "PennDOT tackles multiple projects on I-81." Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Sentinel, May 4, 2013, p. 1 (subscription required)."I-81 bridge work set for Saturday." Carlisle, Pennsylvania: The Sentinel, August 7, 2021, p. A3 (subscription required).
See also List of crossings of the Susquehanna River
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