3 PennDOT projects are nearing completion in and near Philly that could ease your commute

It s a familiar frustration you re on your morning commute when traffic slows to a crawl Cones are everywhere a ramp is closed and you re stuck wondering what are they even doing Turns out quite a lot According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Philadelphia County has ongoing construction projects in motion with more set to start as of July Several major improvements are nearing completion and could make your daily drive smoother safer and a bit less stressful The following are three key PennDOT projects in the region that are wrapping up soon and could impact your neighborhood or your commute Completion dates are based on the latest department content and may shift depending on weather and other factors Lincoln Highway and Rockhill Drive improvements Originally designed in the major roadway improvement project along U S Direction is expected to be complete in the coming months The project upgrades U S from just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange to the Penndel Interchange and includes The addition of a third excursion lane in each direction along with auxiliary lanes between interchanges to ease congestion and improve traffic flow Widening the median to provide a minimum -foot-wide inside shoulder Between the Turnpike and the Neshaminy interchange the road is being raised to improve vertical clearance over Rockhill Drive State Way An auxiliary lane will be added in each direction along this stretch This work also includes the realignment of U S southbound over Neshaminy Creek and U S northbound over Business Track the CSX rail line and SEPTA tracks This work extends from the north of the Neshaminy interchange to the southern limit of the frontage roads Improvements to Rockhill Drive include new turn lanes in both directions and sidewalks along the eastbound and westbound lanes to enhance pedestrian access At the Neshaminy Interchange The ramp from Rockhill Drive to U S northbound will be relocated Ramp geometries will be altered to meet current design standards and improve traffic flow in and out of the Neshaminy Mall and the Horizon Corporate Center Both the northbound and southbound exits to Rockhill Drive will be upgraded to two-lane ramps with improved geometry A signalized intersection west of the Neshaminy Mall entrance will be removed to improve traffic flow At the Penndel interchange State Road ramp configurations will be improved and acceleration and deceleration lanes will be extended to meet modern design standards Sumneytown Pike Connector enhancements Construction on the Sumneytown Pike Connector project which began in is expected to be completed by Fall The project affects the road in Hatfield and Franconia townships Improvements include the installation of Intelligent Transportation System machinery and continued construction along Township Line Road The system uses sensors to collect traffic and roadway figures to improve safety and optimize expedition routes The project includes a new -mile roadway alignment from Allentown Road to Cowpath Road along with the reconstruction of Township Line Road from Cowpath Road to Hatfield Souderton Pike Plans call for Five new signalized intersections and miles of multi-use trail Six sound walls will be constructed between Elroy Road and Cowpath Road to help reduce traffic noise for nearby residents The southbound I- on-ramp will be widened to two lanes A left-turn-only lane will also be added for motorists on Course Sumneytown Pike who are accessing a new slip ramp to southbound I- I- and bridge resurfacing Likely a project you ve come across if you ve driven at all this summer this million project resurfaces and repairs nearly five miles of the Schuylkill Expressway s notoriously rocky roads connecting ramps and more than bridges in Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township This resurfacing is set to be completed in Fall Much of the resurfacing work was done at night to minimize traffic disruptions A majority of the task involves resurfacing I- to smooth out the roadway Already complete is the resurfacing of various ramps connecting eastbound and westbound I- to Girard Avenue Montgomery Drive and Spring Garden Street among others More minor details of the project include barrier repairs sign installation line striping and drainage upgrades The post PennDOT projects are nearing completion in and near Philly that could ease your commute appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY