US 202 Section 400 Improvement Project Begins!

Overview

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) this year begins construction on a $250 million project to transform five miles of US 202 into a wider, safer highway for more than 100,000 motorists who use it each day to travel between Gulph Road in Upper Merion Township (Montgomery County) and Swedesford/Howellville Road in Tredyffrin Township (Chester County).

Over the next 3 & frac12; years, PennDOT will widen US 202 from four lanes to six and build new ramps at the Interstate 76, US 422 and Chesterbrook interchanges to improve access to and from these highways.

US 202 is a critical link in Southeastern Pennsylvania's regional highway network. Traffic backups on US 202 are a daily occurrence, especially during the peak morning and afternoon hours. The highway carries between 70,000 and 105,000 vehicles a day between Great Valley and King of Prussia. The interchanges at I-76 and US 422 combine handle an estimated 180,000 trips daily.

PennDOT's improvement plan will reduce congestion and improve safety on US 202. This massive undertaking will not be easy, nor without inconvenience to motorists.

Construction on US 202 will take place each year from March to November. Motorists will face off-peak lane restrictions on US 202, US 422 and I-76. Travel restrictions will also affect several local roads near US 202, namely Warner Road, Old Eagle School Road, West Valley Road, Chesterbrook Boulevard and Swedesford Road.

To help commuters cope with construction PennDOT and local transportation partners (DVRPC, TMA's, SEPTA, Smartraveler,) have designed a Traffic Management Plan to keep US 202 a viable transportation artery. The plan consists of:

• Keeping two northbound and two southbound lanes open on US 202 during peak travel hours. Off peak hours include: Sunday-Thursday nights 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 a.m. to 10:00 am.

• Building three new park-and-ride facilities to give US 202 commuters greater opportunities to join car or van pools. The new park-and-rides will be located at the interchanges of the US 202/US 30 and US 202/PA 29 in East Whiteland Township, Chester County, and at the interchange of US 422 and Lewis Road in Limerick Township, Montgomery County.

• Providing funds to SEPTA to increase transit service along the US 202 Corridor, including the R5 rail line and local bus routes.

• Installing temporary and permanent traffic signals at intersections where PennDOT expects traffic to increase during construction. The intersections were chosen in close coordination with officials from both Tredyffrin and Upper Merion Townships.

• Providing a telephone hotline for customers to learn up-to-the-minute traffic conditions on US 202. (Smartraveler: 610-567-5678)

• Providing Internet home pages for US 202 travel and construction information.
• (www.Phillytraffic.com, & www.us202.com)

• Funding the US 202 Cruise Line Intercorporate Shuttle service for customers working in key business centers also in the corridor.

• Installing variable message signs to inform motorists of traffic conditions and incidents during construction.

• Using monetary incentive/disincentive clauses in construction contracts and assessing hourly penalties against the contractor for not reopening travel lanes by specific times.

PennDOT is committed to reducing this project's impact on those who live, work and travel on US 202. This project will improve US 202 to meet the growing travel demand in Southeastern Pennsylvania.

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What Motorists Can Expect in 1999

Construction on US 202 this year will primarily take place between North Valley Road and Old Eagle School Road in Tredyffrin Township, Chester County.

From March to November, US 202 motorists will face lane restrictions and shifting traffic patterns on Sunday through Thursday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 12:01 a.m. to 10 a.m. In addition, bridge construction on US 202 will restrict travel on several local roads beneath the highway.

No construction is expected to take place this year on US 422 or I-76.

Customer Service during US 202 Construction

PennDOT and regional transportation partners will help customers throughout the US 202 Improvement Project by keeping them informed of travel conditions and by providing alternative ways to travel along the corridor. The multi-faceted program is a public/private initiative designed to improve travel and reduce congestion on US 202.

Park and Rides Built First

PennDOT will build three new park-and-rides as one of the first items of work under the US 202 Improvement Project. The park-and-rides on US 202 and the additional facility on US 422 will give commuters greater opportunities to join car or van pools during construction. The parking facilities, scheduled to open this summer, will be located on:
• US 30 at the US 202 interchange in East Whiteland Township (125 spaces)
• Matthews Road at the US 202/PA 29 interchange in East Whiteland Township (86 spaces)
• Lewis Road at the US 422 interchange in Limerick Township (50 spaces).

In addition to building these new parking facilities under the US 202 Improvement Project, PennDOT presently has seven park-and-rides open for motorists to use in Chester and Montgomery counties. Open park-and-rides are on:
Chester County PA 100 at the US 30/Exton Bypass interchange (SEPTA's Exton Station) in West Whiteland Township (116 spaces) Paoli Pike at US 202 interchange in West Goshen Township (60 spaces) PA 113 at the PA 100 intersection in Uwchlan Township (37 spaces) US 1 at PA 272 in West Nottingham Township (15 spaces) US 1 at PA 472 in Lower Oxfod Township (15 spaces)

Montgomery County Matsonford Road at I-476/I-76 interchange in West Conshohocken Borough (60 spaces) US 422 at Lewis Road in Limerick Township (38 spaces)

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US 202 Information Hotline

Customers using a touch-tone telephone can obtain up-to-the-minute travel conditions on US 202 and other major highways in the region by calling PennDOT's "US 202 Information Hotline" at 610-567-5678. This service, provided by SmarTraveler, also gives callers estimated travel times and construction information. From a cellular telephone, simply touch #211 and punch in 202* when given then menu of services.
• www.smartraveler.com (click on Philadelphia SmarTraveler, then click on a special link for US 202 information)
• www.phillytraffic.com
• www.tamcc.org
• Additional PennDOT information is available at www.dot.state.pa.us.

Tow Truck and Roadway Assistance Services

PennDOT will use tow trucks and roadway assistance vehicles to help stranded motorists and to quickly remove disabled cars and trucks from US 202 and other highways in the construction area. Both special services will reduce the time a travel lane is closed because of an incident or disabled vehicle.

Variable Message Signs

PennDOT will post Variable Message Signs on US 202 and other nearby highways to inform motorists of travel conditions and traffic pattern changes during construction.

Alternate Routes during Construction

PennDOT will keep US 202 open to two lanes in each direction at most times during construction; however, motorists may consider using alternate routes, such as US 30 (Lincoln Highway/Lancaster Avenue), the newly-widened East Swedesford Road between West Valley Road and Warner Road, and other roads running near US 202.

PennDOT and Tredyffrin Township worked together in 1996 and 1997 to widen East Swedesford Road to five lanes to effectively move the extra cars and trucks expected to use it during US 202 construction.

Emergency Detours

PennDOT will post four color-coded emergency detours on state highways in Tredyffrin Township in case of an unexpected long-term (six hours or longer) closure of US 202. Motorists are only to follow these special signs during an emergency closure of US 202.

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PennDOT-Funded Transit Enhancements

As part of the US 202 Improvement Project, PennDOT is funding additional transit services to give US 202 users greater opportunities to use the R5 regional rail line and local bus and shuttle services during construction.

On the R5 Regional Rail, SEPTA Will:

• Initiate Downingtown Limited trains operating non-stop between Paoli and Center City Philadelphia. One train will operate during the morning peak to Philadelphia and one during the afternoon peak from Philadelphia.
• Add hourly outbound R5 service between Malvern and Downingtown.
• Install bicycle lockers at six regional rail stations: Devon, Berwyn, Daylesford, Malvern, Downingtown, and the Norristown Transportation Center.
• Expand parking at R5 Regional Rail stations. Stations with recent parking expansions are at Malvern (70 additional spaces) and Whitford (130 additional spaces). A new 450-space station at Thorndale will open in late 1999.
For Bus Service, SEPTA Will:
• Start a new "reverse commute" bus route 204, providing connecting service from trains at Paoli Station to Frazer, Exton and Lionville, via US 30 and PA 100.
• Start a new bus route from Chesterbrook to the Strafford R5 Station. The line will operate with small buses, connecting Chesterbrook residents with "Limited" trains to and from Philadelphia. The bus also will connect reverse commuters to job sites along Devon Park Drive.
• Schedule bus route 92 to connect with R5 trains at Paoli Station. The route runs from King of Prussia to West Chester, via Paoli and Exton. Buses will stop at Westlakes, Chesterbrook Corporate Center and the King of Prussia Mall.
• Extend bus route 99 from Royersford to Pottstown and re-route via Valley Forge Corporate Center and Oaks.

For information on SEPTA service and schedules for train and bus service, call 215-580-7800 or visit SEPTA's web page at www.septa.org.

US 202 Cruise Line

The US 202 Cruise Line is a special intercorporate shuttle service that will connect people working at corporate centers along US 202 with SEPTA regional rail stations and bus stops. The shuttle service will provide a flexible transit service for businesses during US 202 construction. The Cruise Line's small shuttle buses will carry employees from Norristown, Radnor, paoli, Strafford and King of Prussia and local park-and-ride facilities to their businesses along US 202.
For information on the US 202 Cruise Line Service, please call the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association at 610-354-8899 or the Transportation Management Association of Chester County at 610-993-0911. Find GVFTMA on the Internet at www.libertynet.org/gvftma. The TMA of Chester County is at www.tmacc.org.

For More Information
• US 202 Hotline: 610-567-5678
• PennDOT: 610-964-6614, 610-964-6673
• Greater Valley Forge TMA: 610-354-8899
• TMA of Chester County: 610-993-0911
• Delaware County TMA: 610-892-9440
• SEPTA: 215-580-7800

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