PennDOT is currently working on plans to add an extra lane of travel to Interstate 476, also known as the Blue Route, to help ease congestion, writes Tom MacDonald for the WHYY.
The six-year upgrade will start with the installation of high-tech equipment to sense when traffic backups are building.
“Phase one of this multi-year plan along 476 will be the installation of variable speed limit signs changing as weather and congestion does,” said PennDOT’s Brad Rudolph.
New ramp meters and electronic signs will be added during the first phase. PennDOT will control the signs in conjunction with cameras to allow officials to see what is going on and warn drivers to slow down.
The main part of the project is to add another lane that will only be used when the road backs up. This lane will utilize the existing shoulder on the roadway.
“The expansion will run from West Chester Pike to I-95, using the inner shoulders of the highway which will be expanded and used as flexible lanes during peak traffic,” said Rudolph.
The proposals are currently in the design stage. Construction is expected to start in 2026.
Read more about plans for the Blue Route in the WHYY.
