I-476 Blue Route Reconstruction, Phase 4

Key Facts: Location: Montgomery Co., Pa.
Owner: Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation
General Contractor: Allan A. Myers, LLP, a company of American Infrastructure, Worcester, Pa.
Design Partner: Traffic Planning and Design, Pottstown, Pa.
Start Date: December 2009
Completion Date: 2011

The final phase of the Pennsylvania Dept. of Transportation�s Interstate-476/Blue Route Improvement project completes the restoration of one of Philadelphia�s most heavily used expressways.

Located between the I-76/Schuylkill Expressway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the 3.2-mi design-build project includes replacement of 1970s-era concrete pavement (currently covered with an asphalt overlay); rehabilitation of six bridges and one overhead structure; rebuilding and widening the highway�s shoulders; stormwater drainage improvements; and installation of intelligent transportation systems and 17 sign structures.

General contractor Allan A. Myers, LP, Worcester, Pa. is also overseeing the subsurface stabilization in the area, which is prone to sinkholes. �We�re drilling 40 to 60 ft to bedrock and pumping in grout to cap off the crushed limestone,� says construction manager Willis Heisey. �Completion of this work is critical to maintaining the overall schedule.�

Heisey expects the biggest challenge will be performing the reconstruction within the expressway�s existing footprint with minimal disruption to the more than 128,000 vehicles that pass through the area daily. A variable �express lane� traffic pattern will help expedite construction while maintaining six lanes of traffic through the work zone at all times.

�Each change in the traffic pattern also requires us to reposition the existing ITS infrastructure,� Heisey adds. �That adds another layer of complexity.�