Greek proverb: “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they shall never sit.”
The concept of a bypass around Gettysburg started in the 1960s with the goal of reducing traffic through the Borough, particularly through Lincoln Square. Local and state officials, engineers, and the public attended meetings for decades into the 1990s. For 30 years, planners predicted that traffic would increase, especially heavy truck traffic, yet ultimately, they failed to deliver the bypass, leaving future generations without a tree at all.
In the early 2000s, the Steinwehr Business Improvement District accomplished a $7 million infrastructure overhaul that revitalized the Avenue. Brick sidewalks, safe crosswalks, underground utilities, heritage lighting, and other amenities transformed the area into Gettysburg’s boardwalk. These trees provide beautiful shade!
More than a decade ago, inspired by Steinwehr’s success, a savvy group of business owners and residents launched the Baltimore Street Project to revitalize the historic pathway that President Lincoln took to deliver the Gettysburg Address. Main Street Gettysburg, the Borough of Gettysburg, C.S. Davidson (Borough Engineer), and 80 engaged community members and organizations finalized the Master Plan in 2018, establishing what is now called the Gettysburg Gateway Connectivity Project. A tree was planted!
The Master Plan goals include seeking funding and partners. Fundraising efforts, such as “Steppin’ Out for Bingo” and the “Long, Long, Long, Long Dinner,” secured matching funds that help meet contribution requirements, a critical component to winning competitive grants. Thanks to our enthusiastic, generous community, we continue to leverage our assets to secure grants.
In partnership with the National Park Service, the Design Phase of the project is fully funded, with local match dollars and an $800,000 Federal Lands Access Program grant awarded in 2020. The project continues to move slowly, but in 2025, the Design Phase officially began with the scoping process. Project parameters have been submitted to PennDOT, and once approved, engineers will embark on a two-year design effort. The tree has taken root!
Public projects develop through strategic planning, standardized processes, and long-term investment. The Master Plan originally outlined three phases for Baltimore Street, each requiring its own funding and construction timeline. Even with readily available funding, this approach would take years for each phase to be completed – probably nearly 15 years of construction and disruption. The tree is stunted!
To keep moving forward, the Borough partnered with Gettysburg Municipal Authority and Gettysburg Storm Water Authority to achieve economies of scale in terms of investment, infrastructure, and schedule. Big-ticket items like stormwater and sewer qualify the project for transformative mega-grants, i.e., BUILD (previously RAISE) and SS4A. Including Lincoln Square – since it shares the same infrastructure issues and failures underneath (and is in the Master Plan) – provides even greater efficiency and cost savings.
The Borough Council approved adding Lincoln Square to the scoping process, but no design decisions have been made. Public meetings will provide opportunities to share feedback, ask questions, contribute ideas, and review initial sketches and renderings. These conceptual visuals serve to spark discussion and guide design. This collaborative effort will help shape the final design to meet the needs of our community and reflect its future. The tree is growing!
The Gettysburg Gateway Connectivity Project represents a transformative moment to upgrade antiquated infrastructure and create a safe, functional corridor from Soldiers’ National Cemetery to the David Wills House and to connect Steinwehr Avenue and Lincoln Square. This is also a rare opportunity to rethink traffic flow, parking, ADA spaces, pedestrian access, bus loading zones, service and delivery solutions, and event security. Rather than passing on known problems, we will build a legacy for future generations. The tree is maturing!
If construction funding is secured, the project could be completed by 2029 at the earliest. The bricks and underground pipes have an estimated lifespan of 100 years, so this vision will serve future generations of stewards and visitors beyond the year 2100.
We are not planting this tree for ourselves. Instead, our children and grandchildren will sit in its shade!
Please contact me anytime: (717) 337-3491, or jsellers@mainstreetgettysburg.org.
Jill Sellers is President and Chief Executive Officer of Main Street Gettysburg. She lives in Adams County with her husband Shane, and their two sons, Joshua (18) and Caleb (15).