WOLF ADMINISTRATION HIGHLIGHTS PRODUCTIVE 2021 DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION SEASON ACROSS SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA

MORE THAN 190 CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY WORTH MORE THAN $2.2 BILLION

December 18, 2021 – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) Engineering District 6 is wrapping up an aggressive 2021 design and construction season that included 62 new contracts worth more than $540 million aimed at repairing and improving state highways and bridges across Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.

“We are pleased with the investments we were able to make into our roadways and bridges this year,” said Acting District 6 Executive Louis Belmonte. “We had several high-profile improvement projects that were completed or began in 2021, all with the goal of providing safe and efficient transportation for all modes of travel across southeast Pennsylvania.”

District 6 currently has more than 190 projects under construction valued at over $2.2 billion. Some of the most notable projects that were completed this year include:

• U.S. 422 Bridge Replacements – $98.3 million project that built new, wider bridges to improve travel and carry U.S. 422 motorists over the Schuylkill River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, South Trooper Road and Schuylkill River Trail in West Norriton, Upper Merion and Lower Providence townships, Montgomery County;
• Interstate 95 Section BS4 – $80.9 million project that enhanced traffic flow and surface street access to I-95 and the Betsy Ross Bridge Interchange by widening and improving a section of Aramingo Avenue, building several new ramps, and extending Adams Avenue in the Frankford section of Philadelphia;
• Interstate 76 Viaduct Rehabilitation – $47.1 million contract that rehabilitated and resurfaced the I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) viaduct in Center City Philadelphia and repaired the three-span bridge over Route 23 (Conshohocken State Road) and several other I-76 structures in Montgomery County;
• Route 452 (Market Street Bridge) Replacement – $21.5 million project that replaced the bridge carrying Route 452 (Market Street) over Amtrak and SEPTA railroad tracks in Marcus Hook Borough and Lower Chichester Township, Delaware County; and
• Grays Ferry Bridge Rehabilitation – $15.3 million project that repaired and improved the bridge carrying Grays Ferry Avenue over the Schuylkill River, Amtrak/SEPTA and CSX railway tracks in Philadelphia.

Some of the most notable projects that began this year include:

• U.S. 1 Section RC2 – $96.6 million project to widen and improve a 1.5-mile section of the highway in Bensalem and Middletown townships, Bucks County;
• U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike) Section 61S – $54.3 million project to improve, widen and reconstruct approximately 1.8 miles of U.S. 202 (Dekalb Pike) from Johnson Highway to Township Line Road in Norristown, and East Norriton and Whitpain townships, Montgomery County;
• Interstate 95 Section AF2 – $31.7 million project to reconstruct sections of Delaware, Allegheny and Castor avenues in Philadelphia to improve traffic movement on surface streets at the I-95 Allegheny Avenue/Castor Avenue Interchange;
• U.S. 1 Pavement Preservation – $13.7 million project to repair and resurface approximately six miles of U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) in Chadds Ford and Concord townships, Delaware County and Pennsbury Township, Chester County; and
• County Line Road Improvement – $11 million project to reconstruct and improve a three-mile section of County Line Road in Warrington Township, Bucks County and Horsham Township, Montgomery County.

“We pride ourselves on taking an aggressive approach with our construction program in an effort to move crucial projects forward to enhance, reinforce and maintain our extensive transportation network,” Assistant District 6 Executive for Construction Harold Windisch said.

PennDOT owns and maintains more than 2,800 state bridges across the region, 345 of which are currently listed in poor condition. In 2021, District 6 was able to repair or replace 14 state bridges.

“It is crucial that we continue to deliver road and bridge projects from design to construction to significantly reduce the backlog of our pavement and bridge demands across the region,” PennDOT Assistant District 6 Executive for Design Chuck Davies said.

Across District 6, more than 124 miles of state highway were resurfaced in 2021.

The pothole season was extremely active for District 6 maintenance forces following a severe 2020-21 winter season. PennDOT maintenance crews across the region used more than 30,000 tons of asphalt to patch potholes and performed crack sealing operations on 336 miles of state highway to repair pavement.

“Maintaining our transportation system is paramount to extending the life of our highways and bridges, PennDOT Assistant District 6 Executive for Maintenance John Krafczyk said. “The longer life equates to money saved by deferring the need for major rehabilitation and replacement projects.”

District 6 responded to more than 6,000 pothole inquiries through PennDOT’s Customer Care Center in 2021, a 120 percent increase from the previous year.

District 6 continues to manage the challenges from the flood damage caused by Tropical Storm Ida in early September. PennDOT staff are working aggressively to make the necessary repairs under current contracts or program new projects to safely reopen damaged bridges and highways to travelers. Most of the repair work is complete or underway, however, there are several state bridges and highways that remain closed across the region due to various storm-related damage.

For a complete list of storm damage closures or construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.

Information about infrastructure in District 6 including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.