Route 422 Roadwork

[422 Commuter]

I saw a sign while getting on Route 422 at 202, that starting Feb. 18th they will be starting some roadwork on 422. Does anyone know what they will be doing? I've heard rumors of making the bridge over the Skuykill River into 3 lanes heading westbound.

[bill]

You're right. The interim project to ease afternoon traffic on westbound 422 traffic will start construction. It is essentially adding a lane on the Schuykill River bridge going westbound. It is scheduled to be done around October.

Here's the pamphlet:
http://422coalition.com/Jan2008%20Interim%20S...

The full project is in design stages, scheduled to start in 2010:
1. Replace the Betzwood Bridge, so Trooper Rd wille extend down to 23.
2. Rebuilding the River Bridge so that it is 4 lanes in each direction.
3. Widening 422 to 3 lanes from 202 to Trooper.
4. Realigning Gulph Rd to the east of its present location.
5. Reconfiguring the 422/23 interchange, eliminating the off-ramp from 422 west to 23 west, and flying over the off-ramp from 422 east to line up with the 422 west off-ramp.
6. Reconfiguring the 422/Trooper interchange, adding ramps to both directions on 422.

[422 Commuter]

Thanks for the infomation. Just what I was looking to get.

[aarrrggghhh]

i wished i had dr. brown's shiny car so i could just fast forward myself a couple of years until all of this was over with

[422 Victim]

So just what par tof all this begins on Feb 18?

[Spaceace]

The part that gridlocks KOP like snow flurries!

[BNL_fan]

Oh great!!! This will be great when it is done, but until it gets there it is going to ba a nightmare!!!

[bill]

422 Victim wrote:

So just what par tof all this begins on Feb 18?

Only the interim project to add a third lane to the bridge over the Schuykill River going westbound.

[Sanatoga Commuter]

I sure hope they intend to do the construction at night!!! Otherwise my commute will increase to 3 hrs from the current 1.5!!!

[The Lights of Graterford]

I want a helicar.

[422 Commuter]

Here's some more information that I found...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE



PENNDOT TO ADD third lane on ROUTE 422 west OVER

SCHUYLKILL RIVER TO REDUCE EVENING DELAYS in MONTGOMERY COUNTY



KING OF PRUSSIA, PA (February 13)– The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) will begin work this month on a $5.5 million project to reduce onerous congestion on westbound Route 422 during weekday evening rush hours by adding a third westbound lane between the Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) and Route 363 (Trooper Road) interchanges in Upper Merion and West Norriton townships, Montgomery County. Construction is scheduled to finish in November.

Preliminary work will start Monday (February 18) to install construction signs and fencing along the highway, but this work will not affect traffic.

Overnight lane closures are scheduled to start Tuesday night, February 26 when crews begin to remove traffic lines and paint new lines on Route 422 to shift travel lanes in preparation for installing temporary median barriers on the bridge over the Schuylkill River. This work will restrict eastbound and/or westbound Route 422 to one lane between Route 23 and Route 363 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This initial operation is expected to last approximately two weeks.

During the nine-month project, two lanes will remain open in each direction on Route 422 except when some operations are performed weeknights and possibly some weekends. Weeknight lane closures are allowed from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m.

PennDOT District Executive Lester C. Toaso said the addition of a third westbound lane will improve traffic flow in the late afternoon and early evening weekday hours by reducing conflicts between Route 422 traffic and the steady stream of vehicles entering the highway from Route 23.“Motorists entering westbound Route 422 from Route 23 will be able to use the extra lane to travel directly to the Route 363 exit, thereby not impacting mainline traffic flow, or they can travel over a half-mile west on the new lane before merging into traffic,” he said.

Toaso said building this direct-connection lane between the two interchanges was critical because half of the approximately 2,000 vehicles an hour that enter westbound Route 422 from Route 23 on weekday evenings exit the highway at Route 363.

Route 422’s third westbound lane will begin at the Route 23 Interchange and end at the off- ramp to Route 363. In conjunction with adding the additional lane, modifications will be made at the two interchanges. The westbound Route 422 off-ramp to Route 23 West will be closed permanently and all traffic will use the existing off-ramp to Route 23 East, which will be widened and a traffic signal installed at the end of the ramp for motorists turning left onto Route 23 West. The Route 422 West off-ramp to Route 363 also will be widened to two exit lanes.

In addition, the contractor will make structural repairs to the Route 422 Bridge over the Schuylkill River and to two other Route 422 bridges in the area as part of the project. The third lane is being added to the existing structures through modifications of the median and westbound bridge wall (parapet), and by reducing shoulder and lane widths.

Glasgow, Inc. of Glenside, Pa. is the general contractor on the $5,514,984 contract that is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.

Toaso credited local municipal, state and federal officials, as well as Valley Forge National Historical Park, for their support of this initial project to improve travel on Route 422 and for their efforts in addressing the transportation issues along the eastern portion of the highway.

This upcoming project is the first phase of the River Crossing Complex Program, which consists of several projects to improve travel on Route 422 between the Route 202 and Route 363 interchanges.

[422 Commuter]

It's nice they are doing this for the west bound ... what are the plans for the east bound?
A 45 minute trip from oaks to chesterbrook just shouldn't happen !