Motorists in Delaware and Montgomery Counties will need to plan for slowdowns next week as PennDOT embarks on a $63.7 million project intended to rejuvenate nearly 17 miles of Interstate 476. A blend of road resurfacing, bridge repairs, and upgrades to safety features will be occurring from the I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) corridor in West Conshohocken Borough to I-95 in Ridley Township. Drivers should prepare for lane closures and potential delays from July 22 through July 26, with restrictions happening primarily during daytime off-peak hours and overnight.
Specifically, the ramp from northbound I-476 to U.S. 30 (Exit 13) in Radnor Township will see a lane shut down from 9 AM to 3 PM for the bridge work. Flaggers will manage the flow of traffic through affected intersections. PennDOT has laid out details on further closures, including sections of northbound lanes between Route 3 (West Chester Pike) and I-76 in the evening to nighttime hours for guide rail replacements. Similar closures will affect the southbound stretch for paving operations. Additionally, a lane closure with flagging is expected on Baltimore Pike for overhead bridge repairs, causing probable backups.
The scope of PennDOT's project is extensive, aiming to mill and overlay travel lanes, perform structural repairs on 49 bridges, and enhance roadside safety with new pavement markings, delineators, and guide rail among other improvements. An emphasis has also been placed on stormwater management, with 21 basins set for enhancement to handle rock slope stabilization challenges. All these efforts are in pursuit of extending the highway's life and elevating the overall safety and ride quality for its countless users daily.
H&K Group, Inc., based in Skippack, PA, has taken the reins as the general contractor for this federally funded overhaul. Completion of the physical construction is penciled in for late 2025. Motorists are encouraged to allow additional travel time when passing through the scheduled work zones this coming week. According to PennDOT, these preparations are crucial as "significant backups and delays will occur." All this activity is contingent on cooperative weather, with any updates to the schedule dependent on the skies above.
