Middletown Road Safety and Congestion Improvement Project

County: Dauphin
Municipality: Derry Township, Londonderry Township and Hummelstown Borough
State Route: Route 2003
Local Name: Middletown Road
Project Type: Safety and Congestion Improvements
MPMS Number: 116786
Proposed Construction Start: March 2028
Proposed Construction End: November 2029
Last Updated: August 2025

Preliminary engineering and environmental studies for a planned project along Middletown Road (Route 2003) to provide safety and congestion improvements is currently underway. The project area includes a 3-mile corridor along Middletown Road from PA 283 to US 322 in Derry and Londonderry Townships and Hummelstown Borough, Dauphin County.

The primary purpose of the project is to enhance the safety and efficiency of the corridor through a combination of roadway widening, access control measures, and targeted intersection improvements. These efforts are proposed to address current traffic issues and prepare the corridor for future demands.

The primary proposed improvements include:

• Roadway widening to add a continuous center turn lane and make shoulders a uniform width
• Access management – adding islands, medians, or signage to limit left turns; closing and redirecting select access points to provide more consistent spacing between primary access points, help traffic flow, and reduce conflicts
• Intersection improvements – modification to signal timings, additional turning lanes and intersection geometric improvements, such as potentially adding signals or sideroad approach realignment

Other potential corridor improvements include:

• Roadway milling and resurfacing
• Slight alignment shifts and vegetation clearing to enhance intersection sight distance
• Select improvements to current bicycle and pedestrian facilities and incorporating design considerations for future municipal-led connections
• Culvert enlargement, drainage updates
• Signing, pavement marking upgrades

This section of Middletown Road has an average daily traffic volume of 16,000 vehicles per day; 5% being trucks.

Construction activities are expected to be staged to minimize disruptions to traffic and maintain access for residents, businesses, and emergency services. Detours may be needed for side road realignment.

The project is currently in the preliminary design phase, and construction is anticipated to take place during the 2028-2029 construction seasons, subject to all approvals, environmental clearances, and funding availability.

A Public “Open House” Meeting (no formal presentation) is scheduled for Monday, August 25, 2025, from 5:00-8:00 PM, at the Derry Township Municipal Complex Administration Building, 600 Clearwater Road, Hershey, PA 17033. The meeting displays will present the project purpose, needs and goals, the existing conditions, environmental impacts, alternatives considered and the proposed corridor improvements. The public will have a chance to engage engineers and environmental specialists from the project team with any questions or comments.

A digital version of the information is available to view online, with public comments received through September 25, 2025.