U.S. 1 Under Construction for Three Miles in Bucks County
Construction continues this summer in Lower Bucks County on two adjacent contracts to improve U.S. 1 by reconstructing and widening the pavement, building several bridges, and improving several interchanges along a continuous three-mile section of highway in Bensalem and Middletown townships.
The contracts, RC1 and RC2, are part of PennDOT’s three-phase project to improve four miles of U.S. 1 in Bucks County.
Reconstruction of the southbound side of U.S. 1 from Old Lincoln Highway to north of the Turnpike continues to progress this summer, highlighted by construction on bridges over the Pennsylvania Turnpike, the Turnpike ramps, and Street Road (Route 132).
Deck construction is underway on the northbound side of the new bridges over the Turnpike and Street Road (Route 132). Placement of the new concrete decks on both new spans is expected in late summer. Abutment construction will continue through the summer on the new northbound bridge over Turnpike ramps with deck construction in the fall.
As bridge construction continues, subsurface utilities and parts of the stormwater drainage system also are being installed along the southbound side of the U.S. 1 roadway, and sound walls are being installed along the southbound side between Street Road (Route 132) and the commercial area approaching Old Lincoln Highway.
The new southbound U.S. 1 ramps to and from Street Road (Route 132) remain closed, except for the ramp from U.S. 1 that is temporarily being used to connect to eastbound and westbound Street Road.
On Street Road (Route 132), eastbound reconstruction continues in coordination with construction of the southbound side of the U.S. 1 overpass.
Access to and from properties located on both sides of U.S. 1 will continue to be maintained during construction.
Construction on the $94 million RC1 project will continue into mid-2022.
Excavation continues behind concrete barriers along both sides of U.S. 1 north of the Turnpike Interchange for the construction of retaining walls and embankments. The walls and embankments will support construction of a third travel lane, along with an auxiliary lane, in each direction from just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bensalem Interchange through the Penndel/Business U.S. 1 Interchange.
Foundations for abutments and piers for the new southbound bridge over the Neshaminy Creek are under construction (see above). Once foundations are in place, crews will begin the methodical work of building the supports for the new structure.
Work on the project’s second set of large bridges, which will replace the bridges over the Penndel Interchange and adjacent rail lines, will begin later this year after the existing utility lines are relocated.
Excavation to widen the northbound off-ramp and southbound on-ramp from Business U.S. 1/Penndel also is underway (see right). Construction to reconfigure and improve the Neshaminy Interchange will be done during a later stage of the project. Improvements to the interchanges will meet current design standards for ramps and acceleration/deceleration lanes.
The $110.9 million RC2 project is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026.
PennDOT in 2014 completed $14.8 million in improvements at the U.S. 1/Maple Avenue Interchange in Middletown Township as part of their overall initiative to modernize and upgrade the U.S. 1 corridor in Bucks County.