PennDOT to Begin Construction on $71.7 Million Project to Rebuild 3.2 Miles of I-476 in Montgomery County
Crews to work at night this fall to reinforce shoulders and build crossover lanes in preparation for shifting traffic in early 2010
King of Prussia – Motorists traveling on Interstate 476 in Montgomery County will encounter nighttime lane closures beginning Tuesday night (Oct. 13) as construction begins on the initial stage of the $71.7 million project to rebuild 3.2 miles of I-476 between Interstate 76 (Exit 16) and the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Mid-County Interchange in West Conshohocken Borough and Plymouth Township, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today.
Weather permitting, travel restrictions will be in place on I-476 this fall on Sunday through Thursday nights from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. the following day to allow crews to rebuild shoulders and build cross-over lanes in the grass median in preparation for implementing a traffic pattern shift early next year when reconstruction of the southbound side of I-476 begins. This preliminary work will last through the end of the year.
This coming week crews will close I-476’s northbound left lane between I-76 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange on Tuesday through Thursday (Oct. 13-15) from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. for surveying, excavation and widening of the inside shoulder. Northbound traffic will be reduced from three lanes to two during these overnight hours.
Starting in early 2010, PennDOT’s contractor will institute an “express lane” pattern on this three-mile section of I-476, similar to what is currently in place on the highway where PennDOT is rebuilding the twin bridges carrying I-476 over the Schuylkill River just north of the I-76 Interchange.
In 2010, PennDOT’s “express lane” pattern will place one southbound travel lane on the northbound side of I-476 within the three-mile long construction zone to keep three travel lanes open in each direction and to expedite construction by providing the contractor with a larger area in which to work.
Crews will work through late 2011 to rebuild this portion of I-476 that was built in the 1970s. The project includes:
• 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 stretch of I-476 carries between 128,000 to 145,000 vehicles a day.
Allan A. Myers, LP is the general contractor on the $71,728,383 roadway project that 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 bridge over the Schuylkill River in Plymouth Township and West Conshohocken Borough. PennDOT began work to repair and rehabilitate the 35-year-old twin structures (Pearl Harbor Memorial Bridge) in March 2009. This $47.4 million bridge project 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.