PennDOT’s contractor is currently working in the median to provide an additional northbound travel lane on U.S. 1. While this work is being done, there is not enough room for a merge lane from the Turnpike ramp to northbound U.S. 1, requiring ramp motorists to Stop before safely entering U.S. 1. This phase is anticipated to be completed when both directions of traffic are switched over to the northbound side, currently scheduled for late June/early July 2023. 

The purpose of this project is to facilitate safe and efficient travel within and through the project study area to meet current and future transportation needs while providing a functional and modern roadway that meets driver expectations.

The project is currently in the process of beginning additional (more detailed) environmental reviews through an Environmental Assessment. This will begin in Fall 2023 and will involve additional public involvement including a public hearing.

We anticipate additional virtual plans display (via this project website) and web/tele presentations in 2023 as part of the Environmental Assessment process. Additionally, we anticipate displaying plans in municipal buildings.  Invitations and announcements will be made once the plans display has been scheduled.  Comments can be submitted any time via the comment section of this website or in writing to:

Sibty Hasan, P.E., P.M.P.
PennDOT District 6-0
7000 Geerdes Boulevard
King of Prussia, PA 19406

This project will not widen PA 413 (Pine Street) north of Flowers Avenue. Additionally, PennDOT does not have any plans for future widening of PA 413 (Pine Street) through Langhorne Borough.

The project will not significantly increase traffic on PA 413 north of Gillam Avenue. It is anticipated that some traffic will redistribute between the existing PA 213 (Maple Avenue) interchange and the proposed PA 413 (Pine Street) interchange.  However, since there are already connections between U.S. 1 and PA 413 via Bellevue Avenue and Gillam Avenue in the area of the proposed interchange, traffic is not expected to increase significantly based on Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Travel Model and PennDOT traffic analysis.

Overall, the RC3 project will not significantly increase traffic on Langhorne’s Gillam Avenue. It is anticipated that traffic will redistribute along Gillam Avenue at each intersection based on driver destinations. Based on Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Travel Model and PennDOT traffic analysis AM peak traffic is anticipated to see a 15-20% decrease along Gillam Avenue and PM Peak is anticipated to see a 10-15% increase along Gillam Avenue. At the same time, the internal neighborhood roads will see a decrease in cut-through traffic as traffic is redistributed onto the collector and arterial roads. PennDOT is also investigating additional traffic-calming treatment options along Gillam Avenue.

The RC3 project will not significantly increase truck traffic through Langhorne Borough. It is anticipated that some truck traffic that currently utilizes the existing PA 213 (Maple Avenue) interchange to travel north on PA 413 (Pine Street) will redistribute to the proposed PA 413 (Pine Street) interchange. This would allow the trucks to avoid making tight right turns at the intersection of PA 413 (Pine Street) and PA 213 (Maple Avenue) and allow a straight-through movement. These projections are based on Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Travel Model and PennDOT traffic analysis.

PennDOT’s traffic count data from 2018 showed 16 Heavy Trucks and 67 buses/single unit trucks (or 83 total trucks/buses) in the morning peak hour and 5 Heavy Trucks and 51 buses/single unit trucks (or 56 total trucks/buses) in the afternoon peak hour. PennDOT’s online traffic count data from 2021 indicates 4% truck traffic along PA 413 (Pine Street), which equates with an average of 40 trucks and buses per hour.

As part of the Environmental Assessment, PennDOT will be conducting additional traffic counts throughout the entire project area to ensure as accurate an assessment as possible of the existing traffic conditions along the entire project corridor.

Traffic signals will be added at the two new intersections on PA 413 (Pine Street) with the proposed US 1 NB and SB ramps as well as Woods Drive and Gillam Avenue.  The traffic signals will control and direct traffic through these intersections.  Crosswalks and bicycle/pedestrian facilities will be provided for and accommodated with these intersections.

The PennDOT design team investigated proposed roundabouts at the PA 413 / proposed U.S. 1 ramp intersections and found that due to traffic flow patterns, specifically at the PA 413 / U.S. 1 SB ramp intersection, proposed roundabouts result in traffic queuing (backing up) onto U.S. 1 during peak travel times within 10 years (2035). As such, roundabouts at these intersections are no longer being considered.

Modern roundabouts are not the same as traffic circles and provide significant safety and operational improvements over traffic circles. Please watch the video at the following link for further explanation.  https://youtu.be/nNXRlWgAVOg

Yes, the project provides the following proposed pedestrian and bicycle accommodations:

• A 12-foot-wide path is proposed along the east side of PA 413 (Pine Street) within the project limits to connect the existing sidewalks north and south of the project.
• 5-foot-wide paved shoulders will be provided on the West Interchange Road overpass.
• In areas where the existing frontage (service) roads are no longer needed, the design team is investigating replacing the existing pavement with a shared-use (pedestrian and bicyclist) path. This is being done in coordination with the local municipalities.  As of now, Middletown Township has voiced its support for including a shared-use path while Langhorne Manor Borough has requested to not have the path within its respective boundaries.

A detailed noise study is being completed for the project. If warranted, reasonable and feasible in accordance with PennDOT Publication 24, noise walls will be proposed as part of this project.  In areas where noise walls are proposed, the local impacted property owners will have a vote on whether to accept the noise wall.  A simple majority will determine whether the potential proposed noise wall will be incorporated into the project.

Construction is currently scheduled to begin in late 2026. Due to the complexity of the proposed project, construction is anticipated to take three years to complete.

In areas where the frontage (service) roads are needed for access to adjacent properties, they will be retained but disconnected from U.S. 1. In areas where existing frontage roads are no longer needed, the design team is investigating replacing the existing pavement with a shared-use (pedestrian and bicyclist) path.  This is being done in coordination with the local municipalities.  In areas where frontage roads are no longer needed, the adjacent connecting local roads will be terminated with hammerhead turnarounds.  Hammerhead turnarounds are being proposed instead of cul-de-sacs to minimize impacts to adjacent property owners.

• First and foremost, the project addresses safety by closing the intermediate access crossovers between the frontage roads and U.S. 1. These locations are known to have a high crash frequency.
• Secondly, the project replaces the concrete separator islands with proposed 12-foot to 14-foot-wide paved shoulders and concrete median barriers. These improvements provide safe pull-off areas for disabled vehicles as well as keep errant vehicles on U.S. 1.
• Lastly, the project replaces the remaining three overpasses on U.S. 1 between I-295 and the I-276 (PA Turnpike) that have deficient vertical clearance, which reduces the likelihood of vehicles striking the overpasses.

PA 413 (Pine Street) is federally classified as a Regional Principal Arterial.  This classification of roadway is meant to carry most trips entering and leaving the area and serves intra area travel.  In the existing condition, U.S. 1 traffic must exit the mainline via frontage roads and then disperse onto neighborhood streets and then travelers work their way to a major street (e.g. Pine Street) to continue or complete their trips.  Providing a direct connection to PA 413 (Pine Street) via an interchange reduces traffic on neighborhood streets and places vehicles directly onto PA 413 (Pine Street) via a modern interchange design.

If your property (or a portion of your property) is needed for the project, a PennDOT representative will contact you once plans have been prepared for the Acquisition of Right-of-Way in the final design phase of the project. See the brochure below for more information.

https://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/PubsForms/Publications/PUB%2083.pdf

PennDOT and the project team provide updates through the www.US1Bucks.com website.

It is anticipated that 3 acres of impervious surface will be removed and converted to green space as part of this project.

Following guidance outlined in PennDOT’s Design Manual* the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for this project was coordinated between PennDOT** the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the project design consultant team.

Based on these discussions, the anticipated proposed project improvements, along with recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), PennDOT and the FHWA concluded that the anticipated environmental study for Section RC3 would be an Environmental Assessment (EA), as the significance of the impacts were not yet fully known.

During the past several years, the project team has been completing the necessary environmental and engineering studies, coordinating with the various review agencies, conducting municipal and public outreach efforts, developing impact assessments, and identifying avoidance, minimization, and mitigation efforts for the project.

PennDOT will be using this information to prepare the EA documentation and will make this material available for public comment prior to finalizing the environmental process for this project, currently anticipated in fall 2024. 

1.  *Publication 10B – Design Manual Part 1B (Post-TIP NEPA Procedures)
2.  ** PennDOT District 6-0 and PennDOT Central Office

Current practice is to provide 16’-6” of clearance for a bridge over a highway like U.S. 1.  PA 413 (Pine Street) is posted for a minimum clearance of 13’-11” and has been accidentally struck previously, most recently on April 12, 2022, by under-passing trucks.

PennDOT is only able to restrict truck traffic based on engineering justification (e.g., deficient vertical clearances, bridge weight limitations, pavement structure) or due to traffic conditions. PA routes and primary highways are generally not posted with truck restrictions and are preferred highway facilities to accommodate truck traffic (in comparison to neighborhood streets). 

Changes to designation of PA 413 is not part of this project. The designation or redesignation of PA 413 would involve the Bucks County Planning Commission and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in coordination with PennDOT and other regional stakeholders. Any redesignation of PA 413 needs to examine regional travel patterns, which are beyond the scope of this project.  With the availability of modern traffic routing tools and smartphone applications, such a redesignation would likely have a minimal effect on traffic volumes passing through Langhorne Borough.

PennDOT and their design consultant engineer previously completed an initial high-level investigation into both a tunneling option and also a potential depressed roadway alternative with access (bridge) crossings. The initial investigations had the cost of tunneling in the range of $900M to $1.3B based on similar projects nationwide. The initial investigations into a depressed roadway (excluding capping with green space) were in the range of $300M to $400M. Additionally, future maintenance would also need to be taken into account, which is considerably higher for an underground facility when compared to a typical at-grade roadway.  Lastly, detailed studies/reports were not completed for either option to determine constructability/feasibility. 

Access will be provided at all times during construction to residences and businesses where construction takes place.

To limit congestion, queues, and delays due to construction, 2 lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions on the U.S. 1 mainline and along Street Road from 5am to 9pm. Based on experience along the corridor, traffic will be able to be reduced to 1 lane in each direction from 9pm to 5am, when traffic volumes are much lower.

At certain times throughout the life of the project, 15-minute rolling traffic stoppages are anticipated to allow for overhead work such as bridge demolition, bridge beam installation, overhead sign structure truss installation, etc. These traffic stoppages will be limited to occur during overnight hours when traffic volumes are the lowest.

Due to high traffic volumes and the need to maintain 2 lanes of traffic in each direction on U.S. 1 from 5am to 9pm, certain construction operations will be restricted to nighttime work when additional working room (i.e. additional lane closures) is necessary. PennDOT will attempt to limit the amount of nighttime work permitted through requirements included in the contract documents.

The construction duration within the RC2 corridor is currently anticipated to take approximately 5.5 years total, through Summer 2026; however, it should be noted that this schedule is subject to factors such as utility relocations, weather, etc.

If you encounter potholes and other maintenance concerns at any time on Pennsylvania’s roadways, simply call PennDOT’s toll-free Roadway Maintenance Hotline, 800-FIX-ROAD, to report the problem and its location. We’ll take it from there.

Use the form on the Contact Us section of the website at any time with your questions or concerns about the construction operation. We will respond usually that same day or shortly thereafter.

Sound barriers will be placed along U.S. 1 SB from the southern end of the new U.S. 1 SB bridge over SR 2037 and the CSX/SEPTA railroad tracks north to the Old Lincoln Highway/Service Road entrance to U.S. 1 SB.

Please visit the project website: www.us1bucks.com

Yes, construction was completed on RC1 in December 2022.