FINAL PREPARATIONS FOR I-476 RECONSTRUCTION REQUIRE MULTIPLE NIGHTTIME LANE CLOSURES NEXT WEEK
Turnpike’s southbound EZPass Express Lane to close Thursday night
Final preparations for the start of southbound reconstruction on a 3.5 mile section of Interstate 476 (Blue Route) in Montgomery County will cause nighttime lane restrictions – including multiple lane closures -- next week (Feb. 7-12), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced today.
The scheduled activities, all of which may be affected by the predicted weekend snow storm, will impact northbound and southbound motorists using I- 476 between the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Mid-County Interchange (Exit 20) and the Interstate 76 Interchange (Exit 16).
Motorists on the Turnpike headed for I-476 south also will encounter the shutdown of the southbound EZPass Express Lanes, the two far left lanes at the Mid-County Interchange, overnight Thursday into Friday. Additional EZPass lanes will remain open at the main interchange.
The contractors schedule is as follows:
- Southbound I-476 will be reduced from three lanes to one from the Brook Road overpass, located south of Ridge Pike (Exit 18), through I-76 (Exit 16), Sunday through Wednesday, from 11 p.m. each evening until 5 a.m. the following morning.
- A single southbound lane may be closed in this area Sunday through Thursday between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m.
- Southbound I-476 will be reduced from three lanes to two from the Mid-County Interchange (Exit 20) to the Brook Road overpass Sunday through Wednesday, from 10 p.m. each evening until 5 a.m. the following morning.
- Southbound I-476 will be reduced from three lanes to one from the Mid-County Interchange (Exit 20) through I-76 (Exit 16), from 11 p.m. Thursday until 5 a.m. Friday.
• Northbound I-476 will be reduced from three lanes to two from just south of the I-76 Interchange (Exit 16) to the Ridge Pike Interchange (Exit 18) Sunday through Thursday, from 10 p.m. each evening until 5 a.m. the following morning.
- Northbound I-476 will be reduced from three lanes to one from north of the Route 30 Interchange to the I-76 Interchange (Exit 16), from 11 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday.
In addition to the lane closures, motorists on I-476 may encounter closed shoulders weekdays between 10 .am. and 3 p.m., as well as shifting traffic patterns at on- and off-ramps at both Exit 16 and Exit 18 during the nighttime operations.
The work schedule is dependent on the weather and scheduled work may be postponed to the following evening in the event of rain or snow.
During the nighttime operations, crews will be setting construction barrier on northbound I-476 to create a southbound “express lane” and painting new lane markings. The “express lane” will be put into service later this month when reconstruction begins on the outside half of I-476, the first major stage of PennDOT’s $71.7 million project to reconstruct that section of I-476.
Construction also is currently underway to refurbish and re-deck the southbound bridge over the Schuylkill River under a $47.4 million contract that began in 2009 with the completion improvements to the northbound structure. The outside half of the southbound bridge is currently under construction.
For more information, and to sign up for e-mail alerts about this project, visit www.476blueroute.com.