April 2018 -- Excavation continues along the eastbound side of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) from U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) to Clayton Park Drive in Concord Township, Delaware County, to prepare for construction of two new eastbound lanes that will start later this spring and continue through the remainder of 2018.
Equipment operators are moving soil from the hillsides and filling in low areas along the 2.6-mile, Section 101 work area in a continuation of work that began in 2017 to make room for two new eastbound lanes. In some excavated hillside areas, embankments are being stabilized using biodegradable mats or netting to promote growth of vegetation. In other areas, retaining walls are being built to support embankments.
Numerous drainage basins also remain under construction on both sides of the highway, along with piping to carry storm water away from the highway.
With initial components of the drainage system in place, crews will begin the process of building the two new eastbound lanes later this spring in areas along the eastbound side where the soil has been excavated and compacted to a “rough” sub grade level. The grade is then established, a stone base is placed, and new asphalt pavement is placed in several layers to create the new travel lanes.
Construction will continue through early spring on improvements to two, currently closed intersections at Station Road (south) and Cambridge Drive on the south side of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway). During the building of the new eastbound lanes later this spring, construction of improvements to other intersections along the south side of the highway will begin. Intersection improvements along the westbound, or north, side of the highway will take place during work on that side of the highway in 2019.
Sound barrier wall posts are in place atop an excavated embankment east of Station Road. Wall panels will be inserted between the posts this spring.
At Smithbridge Road, deck beams will be placed for the eastbound section of the new U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) overpass following the placement of utility lines at that location this spring. Abutment walls for the eastbound section of a new bridge over Webb Creek also are now under construction.
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.
The work is part of a $62.6 million Section 101 contract to reconstruct, widen and upgrade traffic signals on 2.5 miles of 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.
PennDOT held an Open House plans display in mid-December to provide residents with an update on the status of Section 102 improvements. Go here for a look at the materials on display at that meeting.
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.
Follow the progress of improvements to the U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) at us322conchester.com.
