Lester Toaso of PennDOT says, "This is the final phase of our Schuylkill Expressway preventative maintenance project."
This $8.1-million, 12-mile repaving project centers on two sections of the Schuylkill. The largest stretch extends from Route 1, or City Avenue, out to I-476 (the Blue Route). The second part of the project extends from Croton Road in Upper Merion Township to Route 202. Crews will mill and pave the shoulders along that section of I-76 starting Monday.
PennDOT will only allow work between the hours of 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. to minimize the impact on morning and evening commutes.
In the past, Schuylkill drivers have waited hours for accidents to clear. So, PennDOT will install a swinging gate in the median between the Conshohocken and Gladwynne exits. That will allow police to divert traffic when one side of the Expressway is closed due to an emergency.
"It's a test for us. It will be something they will be looking at. They will have to enlarge the median on that side to allow the tractor-trailers to make that turnaround," explains Toaso.
No construction on the Schuylkill over 4th of July or Labor Day Weekends. The entire project is expected to wrap up by the end of October. Barring anything out of the ordinary, it should be 8-10 years before the Schuylkill Expressway gets re-paved again.
