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 48 ongoing construction projects in motion, with 13 more set to start as of July 16.
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 data and may shift depending on weather and other factors.
Lincoln Highway and Rockhill Drive improvements
Originally designed in 2018, the major roadway improvement project along U.S. Route 1 is expected to be complete in the coming months.
The project upgrades U.S. 1 from just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike interchange to the Penndel Interchange, and includes:
- The addition of a third travel lane in each direction, along with auxiliary lanes between interchanges, to ease congestion and improve traffic flow.
- Widening the median to provide a minimum 12-foot-wide inside shoulder.
- Between the Turnpike and the Neshaminy interchange, the road is being raised to improve vertical clearance over Rockhill Drive (State Route 2044).
- An auxiliary lane will be added in each direction along this stretch.
This work also includes the realignment of U.S. 1 southbound over Neshaminy Creek and U.S. 1 northbound over Business Route 1, 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. 1 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 Route 8067), 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 2021, is expected to be completed by Fall 2025. The project affects the road in Hatfield and Franconia townships.
Improvements include the installation of Intelligent Transportation System technology and continued construction along Township Line Road. The system uses sensors to collect traffic and roadway data to improve safety and optimize travel routes.
The project includes a new, 2.3-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 1.5 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-476 on-ramp will be widened to two lanes. A left-turn-only lane will also be added for motorists on Route 63 (Sumneytown Pike) who are accessing a new slip ramp to southbound I-476.
I-76 and bridge resurfacing
Likely a project you’ve come across if you’ve driven at all this summer, this $37.9 million project resurfaces and repairs nearly five miles of the Schuylkill Expressway’s notoriously rocky roads, connecting ramps and more than 20 bridges in Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township.
This resurfacing is set to be completed in Fall 2025. Much of the resurfacing work was done at night to minimize traffic disruptions.
A majority of the task involves resurfacing I-76 to smooth out the roadway.
Already complete is the resurfacing of various ramps connecting eastbound and westbound I-76 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.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
