Travel Advisories

• Stay alert for slow moving construction vehicles and obey posted speed limits.
• Under state law, fines for driving violations in active work zones (those marked by flashing lights) are doubled.
• Speeds 11 mph or more over the posted speed limit may result in a 15 day license suspension.
• Points assessed are doubled for work zone infractions.
• Some work zones have signs requiring motorists to turn on headlights.

PennDOT Postpones Monday Morning Traffic Shift to Extended Express Lane on Southbound I-476 in Montgomery County
Weekend rain stop crews from making final preparations for moving a southbound lane to the northbound side between Mid-County and I-76 interchanges
 

King of Prussia – Inclement weekend weather has forced the postponement of the planned Monday morning (March 15) traffic shift to extend the southbound Express Lane pattern on Interstate 476 in Montgomery County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today.

With continuing rainy conditions predicted, the contractor cancelled all construction activities planned to take place on I-476 during overnight hours tonight and tomorrow morning (March 14-15). Crews were scheduled to complete barrier placement and adjustments, paint new lane lines and finish other tasks related to moving a single lane of southbound traffic onto the northbound side of I-476 just south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Mid-County Interchange by 6 a.m. Monday (March 15).

Weather permitting, crews will work from 7 p.m. Monday (March 15) to 6 a.m. Tuesday (March 16) to complete the final adjustments and put the extended Express Lane into service early Tuesday morning. The extended pattern will run from the Chemical Road Interchange to just south of the Interstate 76 Interchange in Plymouth Township, West Conshohocken Borough and Lower Merion Township.

PennDOT is shifting one southbound lane over to the northbound side of I-476 for nearly four miles as construction crews prepare to start the first major phase of construction on the $71.7 million project to rebuild this deteriorated, 3.5 mile long stretch of the interstate.
 

A short version of the Express Lane pattern has been in place on I-476 since construction began in March 2009 to rehabilitate the twin bridges over the Schuylkill River. The extended Express Lane pattern, which helps to shorten the construction schedule while allowing PennDOT to keep three lanes open in each direction on the interstate during peak travel times, will remain in place for the next two years.

Motorists are reminded that activation of the extended Express Lane requires that southbound I-476 drivers remain on the southbound side of the highway if they want to exit at the I-76 Interchange (Exit 16) and Ridge Pike interchanges. Drivers will not be able to access the I-76 off-ramps, the ramp to Route 23 (Conshohocken) and the ramp to Ridge Pike from the southbound Express Lane on the northbound side of I-476.

Once the longer southbound Express Lane pattern is in place, crews will work at night over the following two weeks to set concrete barriers to establish a two-lane construction traffic pattern on southbound I-476. Lane closures for this operation will occur Sunday through Thursday from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. and weekends from 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. Crews will set and anchor barriers down the center of the existing southbound lanes and a second crew will follow the barrier-setters, working on the protected side to immediately begin rebuilding the outside half of the highway.

PennDOT will keep three lanes of traffic open in each direction on I-476 during peak travel times for the duration of the project. Once barriers are in place, occasional weeknight lane closures may occur from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., with short-term, 15-minute traffic stoppages possible from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. The contractor will work extended off-peak weeknight and weekend work hours to implement major traffic pattern changes and erect sign structures.
The posted speed limit through the I-476 construction zone is 45 miles per hour.

The reconstruction of the outside half of southbound I-476 is the first of four major stages of the $71.7 million project to rebuild and improve 3.5 miles of I-476 between the Chemical Road ramps and I-76. The contractor, Allan A. Myers, LP, began work last October (2009) to build crossover lanes, reinforce shoulders and complete other work to prepare for the traffic shift and the subsequent mainline reconstruction.

The initial two-lane traffic pattern on the inside half of the southbound side of I-476 will flip to the rebuilt outside lanes when reconstruction of the outside pavement finishes in July (2010). Crews will then rebuild the inside half of southbound I-476 under the next stage of the project. The Express Lane pattern will remain in place on the northbound side of I-476 until all southbound reconstruction is completed in late 2010.

The northbound side of I-476 will be rebuilt in 2011 utilizing the Express Lane pattern on the rebuilt southbound side.
The schedule for removing the long-term Express Lane pattern on I-476 is October 31, 2011. PennDOT will assess the contractor $26,700 a day for each day after that date if the Express Lane pattern remains in place on I-476.
 

The improvements to be made on I-476 during this project include:
• Replacing I-476’s deteriorated concrete pavement that is covered with an asphalt overlay.
• Rehabilitating six dual mainline bridges and one overhead structure.
• Rebuilding and widening the highway’s shoulders.Improving storm water drainage.
• Remediating an area prone to sinkholes.
• Installing 17 new sign structures.

This section of I-476 was built in the 1970’s and carries between 128,000 to 145,000 vehicles a day. PennDOT resurfaced I-476’s deteriorated concrete pavement with asphalt in 1998-99.

PennDOT will provide tow truck coverage within the construction area to assist motorists and quickly remove disabled vehicles from I-476.

The I-476 Reconstruction Project is financed with 100 percent federal funds, including $3.5 million of economic recovery money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).

PennDOT is coordinating the rebuilding of I-476 with the construction presently taking place on the I-476 Bridges over the Schuylkill River (Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge). PennDOT began work to repair and rehabilitate the 35-year-old twin structures in March 2009. This $47.4 million bridge project, which is located within the new construction area, is scheduled to finish in late 2010.

For more information, visit www.476blueroute.com.

PennDOT reminds motorists to log on to 511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on I-476 and other major highways before heading out.

 

 

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