Spring 2020 – Construction has resumed on the project to widen and improve U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) following the temporary halt of construction in March due to the COVID-19 crisis. Work on this project will be in accordance with Centers for Disease Control and state Department of Health guidance as well as a project-specific COVID-19 safety plan, which will include protocols for social distancing, use of face coverings, personal and job-site cleaning protocols, management of entries to the jobsite, and relevant training.
Moderate weather allowed the contractor to continue construction of the new westbound lanes (Stage 2) of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) over the winter, including work on two bridges, utility relocations, intersection improvements, and a number of other activities on the project to reconstruct, widen, and improve the highway in Concord Township, Delaware County.
Westbound bridge construction will be completed later this spring following placement of the concrete deck and bridge barrier on new westbound structures over Webb Creek and Smithbridge Road.
Immediately east of the Webb Creek span, work is underway on a retaining wall that will support the widened westbound side of U.S. 322. On completion of the wall, workers will place asphalt pavement on the section of the U.S. 322 roadway supported by the wall.
Other sections of at-grade roadway east of Webb Creek will be paved this spring, tying into the new pavement that was placed in 2019 for the westbound lanes between U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) and the new bridge over the creek.
The final stage of construction, Stage 3, is expected to begin this summer once Stage 2 construction is completed. Stage 3 will consist of a median work zone, with one lane of WB traffic shifted to the newly constructed westbound lane while a single lane of EB traffic remains on the eastbound side.
Following the traffic shift, work will get underway in the median area, the final stage of the Section 101 project. During this stage, crews will construct the grass median and the remaining center turn-lanes at the intersections along the 2.5 mile Section 101 work area.
The final course of pavement, the riding surface, will be placed on the entire project area at the end of this stage to complete the Section 101 project this fall.
Under the current $62.6 million contract, PennDOT is reconstructing and widening the roadway and upgrading intersections and 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. The work is the first part of the 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, 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.
