Phase 3: Schuylkill River Bridges

Phase 3 construction is currently underway and will completely rehabilitate the I-476 bridges over the Schuylkill River in West Conshohocken and Conshohocken boroughs. Built in 1974, the busy river crossings carry northbound and southbound traffic on separate structures.

Under Phase 3, the bridges' decks will be removed and reconstructed, extending the functional life of the structures and generally reducing the cost of future maintenance. Some advance repairs to the structural steel were completed in 2007, and the major rehabilitation began early 2009. All repairs are expected to be completed in late 2010.

The Phase 3 project also will improve traffic flow on nearby surface roads by ugrading the traffic signal at the I-476 off-ramp to Matsonford Road in West Conshohocken Borough.

ITS Components
Phase 3 also includes installation of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) components on I-476 between I-95 in Delaware County and the Pennsylvania Turnpike's Mid-County Interchange in Montgomery County. ITS covers a range of information and electronics technologies -- cameras, sensors, electronic message boards -- which allow PennDOT technicians to monitor conditions on the interstate from the Traffic Management Center in King of Prussia.  This 24-7 monitoring allows technicians to quickly respond to crashes or other incidents on the interstate, improving traffic flow management and safety, reducing congestion and provide alternate routes information to travelers in real-time .

The total construction cost for Phase 3 is $47.3 million.

 

Traffic Impacts
Maintaining traffic flow during construction is crucial because this section of I-476 -- which carries an estimated 64,000 vehicles in each direction every day -- is a primary north/south link between I-95, the Pennsylvania Turnpike (I-276) and the Turnpike's Northeast Extension (I-476).

PennDOT is utilizing an innovative express lane concept to maintain three lanes of traffic during construction on the bridges.  PennDOT recently used this concept with great success during the construction of I-81 in Harrisburg. The express lane pattern enables the same volume of traffic to continue to flow while reducing the number of stages needed for construction and minimizing the need to purchase additional right-of-way for construction.