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Philadelphia Region Local News

Major Overhaul Begins On I-76

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―

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A multi-million dollar plan to resurface worn sections of the Schuylkill Expressway began Monday night.

A 12-mile stretched of I-76, spanning from Route 1 to I-476 and Route 202 to the Croton Road Bridge, is the focus of the $8.1 million project.

Overnight lane shutdowns, the possibility of heavy traffic and no doubt plenty of headaches, are expected during the resurfacing of the busy roadway.

Both the east and west bound lanes will eventually be resurfaced during the overhaul; however, work will begin with just the east-bound lanes.

Crews are scheduled to work from 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. in hopes of reducing the amount of interference, according to PennDot executive Lester Taoso.

"The morning and afternoon rush hours will not be affected by this work," Toaso said at a news conference announcing the project.

In addition to weekday overnights, work will also be done on select Saturday nights, a time period in which Taoso assures "backups will occur."

The project involves milling the existing pavement and laying down new asphalt. A similar project was last undertaken in the mid 1990s.

PennDot said the construction will not only repair damaged parts of the roadway, but they are also planning to add a swing gate between the Gladwyne and Conshohocken exits to allow for official vehicles to pass through or redirect traffic in the event of an emergency.

State police and PennDot officials estimate up to 186,000 vehicles a day use the 12-mile stretch of I-76.

Repairs are expected to be finished by mid-September, with work on access ramps following into October.

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