Brace for slowdowns, drivers – PennDOT has a roadwork schedule that will tangle up your commute next week. Set on giving I-95 and Route 63 (Woodhaven Road) a much-needed facelift, the agency warns of impending lane closures that are sure to cause significant delays.
Look out for the squeeze on southbound I-95, right between the Route 132 (Street Road) overpass and the Route 63 interchange in Bensalem Township, Bucks County. From Wednesday, May 29 to Friday, May 31, you'll encounter a right lane closure from the crack of dawn at 8:00 AM until the afternoon school run at 2:30 PM. PennDOT's advice? Budget more time, because like it or not, you're going to be idling behind the wheel longer than usual.
But it's not just the Bucks County road-weariers getting the short end of the stick. Eastbound Route 63 (Woodhaven Road) users between Thornton Road and Academy Road underpasses in Philadelphia are also on the hit list. Mark your calendars – same dates, same times, because one of those right lanes you love is going to be out of commission.
The big picture here – this isn't just a torture tactic for motorists. It's all part of PennDOT's grand scheme, a hefty $24.1 million project meant to buff up the region's Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS). Once they've got those ITS components all shiny and new, their Regional Traffic Management Center (RTMC) can keep an eye on the roads and toss out real-time travel info to you quicker than you can honk in frustration. So say PennDOT, and thanks to the heads-up courtesy of their announcement, at least you've got time to prep for the bumper-to-bumper ballet that awaits.
