Penndot's Leonard Toaso says, "This is the final phase of our Schuylkill expressway preventative maintenance project."
This time, Penndot is focusing on two sections of the Schuylkill stretching twelve miles. The largest extends from Route 1/city Avenue to the Blue Route/I-476. The second part of the project extends from Croton Road in Upper Merion Township to Route 202. The work will last until October.
Drivers like Terez Newsun of West Philadelphia are bracing for the worst. "You're saying til October?"
For those who work during the day, the good news is that Penndot will be doing the work overnight from 8pm to 5am to minimize the impact on the morning and evening commutes.
Max Dobbs of West Conshohocken says he can deal with that. "If they do it at night, that's no problem. That's good."
Unless, of course, you have to work at night.
Ralph Pallarino, a restaurant owner, is among those who'll face the delays.
"So every night at 9, I leave, jump on the Schuylkill, so now I guess I'll take Route 23, which takes longer, more gas, you name it.""
The project also involves a rather novel idea for the Schuylkill. In the past, motorists have waited for hours for accidents to clear. Penndot will install a swinging gate in the median between the Conshohocken and Gladwyne exits to allow police to divert traffic when one side of the expressway is closed due to an emergency.
Penndot's Toaso says, "It's a test area for us. We'll see how it works. The area will be enough to allow a tractor trailer to make that turnaround."