PROJECT OVERVIEW
Project Summary: Repairs to two I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) viaducts
Project Locations: Center City, Philadelphia; West Conshohocken, Montgomery County
Construction Contract Amount: $39,776,919
Contractor:J.D. Eckman, Inc., Atglen, PA
Construction Start: Spring 2019
Construction Completion: Fall 2020
Design Engineering: HDR, Inc., Plymouth Meeting, PA
Construction Management: Urban Engineers, Philadelphia, PA
Due to complications caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the original schedule for this project is being revised on a week-to-week basis.
PennDOT is planning to work during the week, on weeknights, and over select weekends for the remainder of 2020 to complete the necessary repairs to the Center City I-76 viaduct and to the I-76 bridges in Montgomery County.
Lane restrictions and full closures of sections of the Center City viaduct will take place throughout 2020. Updated information will be posted here in weekly news releases.
Project Description
Rehabilitation of the I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) viaduct in Center City Philadelphia (top image) includes:
- Repairing or replacing the concrete deck’s expansion joints
- Repairing deteriorated sections of concrete deck
- Rehabilitating piers, columns and other sub-structure components
- Repairing the viaduct’s drainage system
- Repaving the deck with a concrete overlay.
Rehabilitation of the I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) viaduct in West Conshohocken (bottom image) includes:
- Replacing the neoprene strip seal expansion joints
- Resealing the longitudinal median joint
- Repairing superstructure steel components (stringers and floor beams)
- Cleaning and lubricating abutment bearings
- Repairing Pier 1 bearings
Travel During Construction
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) at both locations carries two lanes of traffic in each direction with Average Daily Traffic (ADT) volumes of approximately 130,000 vehicles in Center City and 67,000 ADT in West Conshohocken.
Repairs at both locations will require overnight or weekend lane closures. In addition, certain on and off-ramps in the Philadelphia viaduct’s work area will be closed and detoured.
At various stages of construction on the long viaduct in Philadelphia, the expressway will be completely closed in either the eastbound or westbound direction within the work area during the overnight hours or weekends.
An anticipated five full closures will take place during each of the four stages of deck rehabilitation on the Philadelphia structure.
These closures will be timed to avoid taking place during university functions, events at the sports complex in South Philadelphia, and other high traffic occasions.
In Summary
- I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) in Center City Philadelphia will be under construction beginning in Spring 2019 until late 2020. The expressway in West Conshohocken will be under construction in 2020. No work is expected to take place over the winter from late 2019 to early 2020.
- Construction during the four stages of deck rehabilitation on the Philadelphia viaduct will require full closures of either the eastbound or westbound I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) for at least five weekends per stage.
- I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) in Philadelphia will have single lane closures in one direction for at least 20 weekends during the 2019 and 2020 construction seasons.
- Single-lane closures in one direction may be in place at night and on weekends on the Philadelphia viaduct during the 2019 and 2020 construction seasons, or on the West Conshohocken viaduct during the 2020 construction season.
- On and/or off-ramps in the Philadelphia viaduct work zone will be closed periodically when lanes are closed.
Conshohocken Viaduct Construction Stages
I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) in West Conshohocken, Montgomery County, will be under construction from early 2020 until late 2020.
Single Lane Closures Eastbound or Westbound will be in place Monday nights through Saturday nights from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM.
Center City Viaduct Construction Stages
| Spring 2019 – Dec 2020 |
Deck Rehab: Pre-Stage 1: Traffic impacts consist of I-76 westbound right lane closure during overnight hours. One of the following ramps may be closed during these hours:
| April thru July 2019 |
| July thru Oct 2019 |
| April thru July 2020 |
| July thru Oct 2020 |
Detours
Detours will be in place during ramp closures and full closures. The local and regional road network will be utilized for the detours.
