STATE ROAD REDUCED TO ONE LANE EACH DIRECTION NEAR COTTMAN AVENUE

Motorists using State Road in the vicinity of the I-95 Cottman Avenue Interchange in Northeast Philadelphia will encounter backed-up traffic and delays for several months beginning Wednesday, April 14, when the road is reduced to one lane in each direction for construction activities between Cottman Avenue and Princeton Avenues, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said today.

In addition, on-street parking will be eliminated on State Road within the construction zone.

The single lane conditions will go into effect beginning at approximately 7 a.m. on April 14 and will remain in place around the clock as crews begin work to relocate subsurface utility lines on the east side of State Road.

Delays on State Road will impact traffic approaching the intersection with Cottman Avenue from both directions. Delays in the northbound direction also may impact travel on Princeton Avenue approaching State Road.

Construction-related daytime lane closures on Princeton Avenue east of Torresdale Avenue, where subsurface utility also is underway on the north side of the roadway, may cause backups on Torresdale Avenue approaching the intersection.

Work on Cottman Avenue, which is reduced to a single lane west of State Road, and on State Road at Cottman Avenue also may cause increased backups on the northbound I-95 off-ramp.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible or to allow extra time for travel through the work zone. Motorists on I-95 north also are advised to remain alert for backups on the Cottman Avenue off-ramp.

This work is part of PennDOT's $31.9 million project to build two new ramps at the I-95/Cottman Avenue Interchange (a new southbound on-ramp from State Road near Longshore Avenue and a new northbound on-ramp from Milnor Street) and to improve surface streets that carry traffic to, from and around the busy interstate. This project is the first of two contracts for the $230 million project to rebuild and improve I-95 at the interchange.

Tony D. Paul & Son, of Blue Bell, Montgomery County, is the general contractor on the $31,953,398 project that is financed with 90 percent federal and 10 percent state funds.

Construction on this first stage is expected to be completed in 2011.

For more information on this and other I-95 improvement projects, visit www.95revive.com.