District 1 Projects - Erie County

Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project

Project Status

Step 1:
Preliminary Design

Step 2:
Final Design

Step 3:
Construction

Step 4:
Completion

Project Overview

County: Erie
State Route: 4034
Local Name: Bayfront Parkway
Project Type: Intersection Improvement and Multimodal Project
Last Updated: April 18, 2024

Central Bayfront Parkway Overall Corridor

The Bayfront Parkway Improvement Project in the City of Erie, Pennsylvania will include updates to the intersections with Holland Street, State Street, and Sassafras Street Extension. At Holland, a dual-lane roundabout and an overhead pedestrian bridge will be constructed. At State Street, a grade separated intersection will be built. At Sassafras, a dual-lane roundabout will be constructed. Throughout the corridor, there will be improvements made to the sidewalks and crosswalks, construction to connect portions of the existing multi-use trail, and upgrades to the lighting and landscaping.

The City of Erie is experiencing a resurgence of both private and public sector development and investment in its downtown and on the Bayfront. In the heart of these developments lies the Bayfront Parkway (Route 4034), which has served the community since the early 1990s. The parkway serves as the east-west connection, but a need for north-south connections is growing.

In collaboration with local project stakeholders and the community, the Bayfront Parkway Project will enhance these connections and provide the infrastructure needed to support the growth of the region.

The purpose of the project is to improve the pedestrian, bicycle, transit, and passenger vehicle connections between the Erie Central Business District and adjacent neighborhoods to the waterfront property north of the Bayfront Parkway, to reduce crashes on the parkway as much as practical, to decrease future congestion to an acceptable level of service or delay, and to increase traffic operations and efficiency.

Preliminary construction work on the project started in October 2023. The project is expected to take several years to complete and will be done in stages that will maintain traffic to all the businesses off the parkway between Sassafras Street Extension to Holland Street. 

The improvements along the central part of the corridor included in this project include: 

  • Dual-lane roundabouts at Sassafras Street Extension and Holland Street.
  • Grade separate intersection at State Street, including a traditional signalized at-grade intersection and a path for through traffic on the Bayfront to travel below the intersection.
  • Sidewalk and crosswalk upgrades throughout the length of the project;
  • Multi-use trail connecting the existing trail network, downtown, and the waterfront.
  • Overhead pedestrian bridge Holland Street.

Supplemental Projects

Several other projects and long-term plans have been created to supplement and expand the efforts to increase connectivity and safety along the Bayfront.  

Proposed pedestrian improvements along the bluff to Water Works Road and the North Front Street realignment were handled by the Erie Western PA Port Authority

Additional Project Information

Accessibility

The project documents will be available in alternative languages or formats if requested. If you need translation or interpretation services, have special needs, or have concerns that require individual attention, please feel free to contact the PennDOT Project Manager.