Community Corner

Turnpike, I-95 Connection Begins Next Phase

Traffic on the turnpike will soon be affected as crews widen approximately three miles of lanes and construct a new toll plaza at the Delaware River Bridge.

The following was provided by the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission:

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission reports that the next phase of construction is getting under way for the project to connect the Turnpike with Interstate 95 in Bucks County. Contractors have begun to mobilize the equipment, materials and other resources to the job site, and limited, off-roadway construction activity has started.

But until mid-July, little impact is anticipated for motorists traveling through the project area on Interstate 276 between the Bensalem Exit (#351) and the Delaware River Bridge (#359). 

Later this month, the contractor will set up a work zone in the project area and once established the speed limit will be reduced to 55 miles per hour until the project is completed in spring 2016. Additionally, some work will require the contractor to establish single-lane patterns during off-peak hours, restricting travel lanes with reduced work-zone speeds of 40 mph. 

There are two separate projects that could impact turnpike travel. The first is the reconstruction and widening of a stretch of I-276 between milepost 351.4 and 354.1 including the construction of a mainline toll plaza at milepost 352.6. The second project site is for the construction of an Open-Road Tolling system (highway-speed tolling) at the Delaware River Bridge plaza.

In April, Road-Con. Inc. of West Chester, Pa. was awarded the $59.2 million general construction contract to:

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  • construct a new mainline toll plaza with four Express E-ZPass lanes, three conventional entry lanes and five exit lanes;
  • install a prefabricated utility building to support Open-Road Tolling at the Delaware River Bridge;
  • demolish the existing Delaware Valley Interchange toll plaza (Exit #358);
  • demolish the existing Delaware River Bridge mainline toll plaza (Exit #359); and 
  • widen 2.7 miles of I-276 including 0.5 miles at the Delaware River Bridge site.

Last month, the contractor began clearing trees and shrubs and installing erosion and sedimentation controls within the Turnpike right-of-way.  Additional work items include: installation of guiderail, drainage inlets and pipes, three rain gardens, six stormwater management basins, sound barriers, retaining walls, box culverts, and right-of-way fencing.

As part of the work associated with the tolling facilities, three separate contracts were bid. In addition to the general construction project, contracts were awarded to Philips Brothers Inc. (electrical, $967,777) and Guy M. Cooper Inc. (plumbing, $281,500 and HVAC, $925,000). Urban Engineers Inc., (construction manager), Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., (design manager) and STV Group Inc., (designer) will represent the Commission as part of the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Interstate 95 Interchange Connector Project Management Team.

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Currently in construction as part of Stage 1 is the installation of Advance Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) on U.S. Route 1, Route 13 and Street Road as well as two bridge-replacement projects — Richlieu Road over I-276 in Bensalem Township and Ford Road over I-95 in Bristol Township. 

Ford Road is closed and detoured until fall 2013, and on June 24 Richlieu Road was closed and detoured for two months. Additional construction activities, schedules and detour routes can be viewed on the I-95 project website at www.paturnpikei95.com

Motorists can get Turnpike traffic alerts and detour information by calling 866-976-TRIP (8747) or visiting the live Travel Conditions Map online at www.paturnpike.com/webmap. The Turnpike’s smartphone app, Trip Talk, streams audio advisories to iPhone and Droid users so they can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. To download the free app, visit www.paturnpike.com/triptalk. For emergencies, dial *11 on your mobile phone.


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