Work Expanding This Summer at U.S. 322/Cherry Tree Road/Bethel Avenue Intersection
Section 103 construction to improve 1.4 miles of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) continues this summer with the July closure of Bethel Avenue at U.S. 322 for construction of improvements on the south side of that intersection and continuing excavation and drainage work at the Route 452 (Market Street) Interchange in Upper Chichester, Delaware County.
Bethel Avenue is being closed and detoured (see right) until late 2026 in order to complete improvements at the intersection and widening of U.S. 322 east from the intersection to the Stony Pond Plaza.
Aerial utility relocations are ongoing (see below) in the two-lane section of the work zone east of Chelsea Parkway. Culvert construction on Bethel Avenue has been completed, allowing roadway widening at the intersection with Cherry Tree Road/Bethel Avenue.
Extensive excavation has been substantially completed to create a footprint for improved access to and from U.S. 322 at the northeast quadrant of the Route 452 (Market Street) Interchange. Similar roadway and drainage work is underway at other areas at the interchange, including roadway preparation for reconstruction and realignment of Garfield Avenue.
Utility relocations also continue at the interchange along Market Street and Bethel Avenue on the south side of the interchange.
Improvements to the interchange include construction of turn lanes on Market Street and widening on Bethel Avenue to allow construction of new ramps.
A section of the two-lane stretch of westbound U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) remains reduced to one lane approaching Route 452 (Market Street).
Section 103 will reconstruct and widen the two-lane section of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) to four travel lanes, add turn lanes, realign on and off-ramps, realign the Cherry Tree/Bethel Avenue intersection, and upgrade traffic signals along the project corridor.
There will be periodic lane closures for the duration of the project for construction activities. PennDOT will continue to maintain at least one lane of traffic in each direction except during occasional, flagger-controlled restrictions at various times and locations. Access will be maintained as well to all residences and businesses within the work area during construction.
Click the following link to view the proposed detour routes.
The $99.4 million Section 103 project is the second of four construction contracts under PennDOT’s U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) Improvement Program to improve travel and safety on a 6.7-mile section of U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) in Concord, Bethel, and Upper Chichester townships.
R.E. Pierson Construction Co. Inc., of Pilesgrove, N.J., is the general contractor on this project, which is financed with 80 percent federal funds and 20 percent state funds.
Section 101 widening and intersection improvements were completed in 2020 between U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) and Clayton Park Drive.
Section CSX, which will replace the U.S. 322 bridge over the CSX Railroad and improve the adjacent Bethel Road Interchange, is scheduled to be advertised for construction later this year.
Final engineering design is advancing for Section 102, the widening and reconstruction from Clayton Park Drive to Chelsea Parkway/Bethel Avenue. Section 102 construction will wrap up PennDOT’s improvements to U.S. 322 (Conchester Highway) between U.S. 1 (Baltimore Pike) and the CSX bridge and Bethel Road.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/