PENNDOT MARKS COMPLETION OF FIRST OF THREE U.S. 1 RECONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN BUCKS COUNTY
December 7, 2022 – PennDOT District 6 Executive Lou Belmonte was joined by local and elected officials in Bensalem Township, Bucks County today to celebrate the completion of the U.S. 1 Section RC1 improvement project and to highlight the departments’ 2022 construction season that included 55 new contracts worth an estimated $800 million to repair, reconstruct and improve state highways and bridges across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
“It’s a significant achievement to deliver these types of large investments to improve our roadways and bridges,” said District 6 Executive Louis Belmonte. “From large scale corridor-wide programs and intersection improvement projects to roadway resurfacing and repairing bridges, we’re laser-focused on enhancing the safety and efficiency of our transportation network.”
PennDOT District 6 currently has more than 135 projects currently under construction valued at more than $2 billion. Several of the projects are supported and accelerated by the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). In 2022 alone, the BIL is bringing at least $115 million in additional funding to the District 6 region to be allocated by the department and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
Some of the most notable construction projects that began this year include:
- Interstate 95 Section CP3: $53.2 million project to construct a new ramp from Cottman Avenue (Route 73) to southbound I-95 in the Tacony neighborhood of Philadelphia and perform roadway and utility improvements in the area of the interchange.
- I-476/MacDade Boulevard Improvements: $16.2 million project to improve travel and safety on a section of MacDade Boulevard and at the northbound Interstate 476 and MacDade Boulevard Interchange in Ridley Township, Delaware County.
- Worthington Mill Road Bridge Replacement: $4.5 million project to replace the Worthington Mill Road bridge over Neshaminy Creek in Wrightstown and Northampton townships, Bucks County.
- West Coulter Street Bridge Replacement: $3.7 million project to replace the West Coulter Street bridge superstructure over SEPTA’s Chestnut Hill West line in Philadelphia.
- Route 162 (Embreeville Road) Bridge Replacement: $1.7 million project to replace the Route 162 (Embreeville Road) bridge over West Branch of Brandywine Creek in Newlin Township, Chester County.
- Old Skippack Road Roundabout: $1.6 million project to construct a roundabout to improve travel and safety at the intersection of Old Skippack Road and Schwenksville Road/Shelly Road in Upper Salford Township, Montgomery County.
Some of the most notable projects that were completed this year include:
- I-95 Section GR4: $328.3 million project to rebuild and improve 1.5 miles of southbound Interstate 95 between Allegheny Avenue and Columbia Avenue in Philadelphia. The project also includes replacement of the mile-long I-95 southbound viaduct and the associated southbound ramps at Girard Avenue.
- Chestnut Street Bridges: $104.7 million project to rehabilitate and improve Chestnut Street over the Schuylkill River and several nearby bridges.
- Route 320 Hanging Rock: $9.2 million project to reconstruct, improve and realign the roadway away from the historic Hanging Rock in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County.
- King Street Bridge: $4.2 million project to replace the bridge carrying Route 663 (King Street) over Manatawny Creek in Pottstown Borough, Montgomery County.
- New Hanover Square Bridge: $2.7 million project to replace the bridge carrying New Hanover Square Road over a branch of Swamp Creek in New Hanover Township, Montgomery County.
- Little Washington Road Bridge: $1.4 million project to replace the bridge carrying the highway over Culbertson Run in East Brandywine Township, Chester County.
The news conference today also celebrated the completion of PennDOT’s $94.5 million U.S. 1 Section RC1 project to widen and reconstruct more than a mile of U.S. 1 between Old Lincoln Highway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike and improve the U.S. 1 interchanges at the Turnpike and at Street Road (Route 132).
Section RC1 also included replacement of U.S. 1 bridges over Street Road (Route 132), the Pennsylvania Turnpike, and the Turnpike’s interchange ramps with wider structures to accommodate additional lanes on U.S. 1. The new bridges have improved vertical clearance for the increased height of today’s commercial vehicles. The Bristol Road bridge over U.S. 1 also was replaced with a longer span to provide room for widening U.S. 1 that is currently underway as part of the adjacent Section RC2 project.
Additionally, under the Section RC 1 contract, the old guide rail median on U.S. 1 was replaced with a new concrete median/glare screen, a northbound lane was added at the intersection of U.S. 1 and Old Lincoln Highway, a new stormwater drainage system was installed, and sound walls were added along southbound U.S. 1 south of the Turnpike.
The project also included major improvements to the U.S. 1/Street Road (Route 132) Interchange. The original ramps to and from U.S. 1 north were replaced with new ramps at a signalized intersection on the south side of the interchange. The ramps from U.S. 1 South to eastbound and westbound Street Road (Route 132) and from westbound Street Road (Route 132) also were replaced at a new signalized intersection. And a new ramp to southbound U.S. 1 from eastbound Street Road (Route 132) also was constructed.
Ramps to and from U.S. 1 and the Turnpike interchange were reconstructed with improved turning geometry to meet current design standards. A second lane was added to the ramp from northbound U.S. 1 to the Turnpike and from southbound U.S. 1 to the Turnpike.
Section RC1 is the first of three construction contracts that comprise PennDOT’s U.S. 1 Improvement Project to widen U.S. 1 (Lincoln Highway), replace aging bridges, and complete a number of highway safety enhancements along a five-mile segment of U.S. 1 that extends from Old Lincoln Highway to just north of the Corn Crib Lane overpass in Bensalem and Middletown townships and Langhorne Manor and Langhorne boroughs.
Construction is currently underway on Section RC2 to the north, where U.S. 1 is being widened and new bridges are under construction over the Neshaminy Creek, over ramps and rail lines at the Penndel/Business U.S. 1 Interchange, and over Rockhill Drive at the Neshaminy Interchange.
A third project, Section RC3, will improve U.S. 1 from north of the Penndel/Business U.S. 1 Interchange to north of the Corn Crib Lane overpass in Middletown Township and Langhorne Manor and Langhorne boroughs. Section RC3 is currently progressing through the preliminary engineering stage and is anticipated to move into final design in early 2024. The project is advancing toward construction beginning in late 2026.
For more information on additional improvement under the Section RC1 contract and PennDOT’s entire U.S. 1 reconstruction program in Bucks County, visit www.us1bucks.com.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
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