Fall 2018 - Crews this fall continue excavating and placing base pavement for two new eastbound lanes under the first major stage of the $62.6 million project to widen and improve U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) from U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) to Clayton Park Drive in Delaware County.
Excavators working ahead of the paving crews continue cutting into the high embankments and moving the excavated soil to fill low areas at the eastern end of the 2.6-mile, Section 101 work area.
Work also is underway (beginning 10/25/18) to improve the U.S. 322/U.S. 1 intersection. The separate right turn lane from northbound U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) is closed during construction at the intersection, requiring motorists heading to eastbound U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) to turn right at the traffic signal. Improvements to the intersection are expected to be completed next summer.
Additional intersection re-construction continues along the eastbound side at Evergreen Drive, Fellowship Lane, Station Road (south), Cambridge Drive, Spring Valley Road, Merion Drive, Mattson Road/Featherbed Lane and Clayton Park Drive. Intersection improvements along the westbound, or north, side of the highway will take place during work on that side of the highway in 2020.
Seven of the project’s eight stormwater drainage basins have been constructed on both sides of the highway, along with piping to carry storm water away from the highway.
Sound barrier walls have been installed along the eastbound side near Station Road (south).
Deck placement has been completed and the bridge’s parapets (side walls) will be in place this fall to complete the eastbound section of the new bridge over Smithbridge Road. Deck beams will be set in Novermber and deck construction will follow for the eastbound section of the new U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) bridge over Webb Creek.
Construction of the two new eastbound lanes is expected to be substantially completed late this year or early in 2019. Construction of the new westbound lanes will then get underway.
Two lanes of traffic are being maintained on the existing U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) during peak hour travel. Periodic flagger-controlled lane restrictions remain in place Mondays through Fridays from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and from 7:00 PM and 6:00 AM, for various operations as construction advances along the corridor.
Stage one work (Section 101) will reconstruct, widen and upgrade traffic signals along U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) from U.S 1 (Baltimore Pike) to just east of Featherbed Lane/Mattson Road near Clayton Park in Concord Township, Delaware County. Current western section construction is the first of two mainline PennDOT construction projects to improve travel and safety on a 6.7-mile section of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway).
Construction of replacement wetlands (Section MIT) also continues in Thornbury Township near Cheney University, and site development continues for a new PennDOT Maintenance Operations Staging Area adjacent to westbound U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) near Fellowship Drive.
The eastern half of the project, Section 102, remains under design. Section 102 will improve the highway and its intersections and interchanges from east of Clayton Park Drive to just east of Route 452 (Market Street) in Bethel and Upper Chichester townships. Construction on Section 102 is projected to begin in late 2020.
An additional contract to replace the U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) bridge over the CSX railroad and Bethel Road as well as improvements to the adjacent Bethel Road Interchange (Section CSX) is under design and not yet scheduled for construction.
Typical existing U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway)
Follow the progress of improvements to the U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) at us322conchester.com.
