Fall 2020 – Crews have finished building median mountable curbs and islands on U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) to complete construction of turn-lanes and other improvements at intersections and will place the final pavement layer this fall on all lanes and intersections along the widened and improved 2.5 miles of roadway to wrap up work on the $62.6 million Section 101 project in November.
Center turn-lanes with raised medians are now in place at Evergreen Drive (WB); Fellowship Drive/Station Road (EB, WB); Cambridge Drive (WB); Matson Road/Featherbed Lane (EB, WB); and Clayton Park Drive (WB).
Additional improvements at the intersection with U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) — adding turn lanes and new signals — also is completed except for final paving and installation of an electronic message sign in the median of U.S.1 (Baltimore Pike) this fall.
During the final stage of construction, one lane of westbound traffic is riding in the newly constructed westbound lane while a single lane of eastbound traffic remains on the eastbound side. Following final paving, two lanes in each direction will be available for the estimated average of 24,000 vehicles that use the busy Delaware County highway each day.
Since starting work on this project in early 2017, PennDOT has widened U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) to two lanes in each direction and widened the shoulders from U.S 1 (Baltimore Pike) to just east of Featherbed Lane/Mattson Road near Clayton Park.
Nine intersections along the corridor also have been improved with turn-lanes, acceleration/deceleration lanes and new traffic signals. The improved intersections include U.S.1; Evergreen Drive; Spring Valley Road; Fellowship Drive/Station Road North; Station Road South; Cambridge Drive; Merion Drive; Mattson Road/Featherbed Lane; and Clayton Park Drive.
In addition, bridges over Webb Creek and Smithbridge Road have been replaced, an extensive stormwater drainage system with numerous retention basins has been installed, and 1,500 feet of sound walls have been erected along the eastbound side east of Station Road South.
The work is the first of three PennDOT construction projects that will improve travel and safety on a 6.7-mile section of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway).
Design engineering continues on two additional projects (Section 102, Section 103) that will finish the widening and reconstruction of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) from east of Clayton Park Drive through the Route 452 (Market Street) interchange in Bethel and Upper Chichester townships.
A fourth corridor improvement contract to replace the U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) bridge over the CSX railroad and Bethel Road and complete other improvements to the adjacent Bethel Road Interchange, Section CSX, remains under design as well.
During all remaining U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) construction, PennDOT will maintain a lane of traffic in each direction on U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) during peak hour travel. Motorists may find periodic flagger-controlled lane restrictions at locations across the work zone on 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.
