Fewer Delays Expected As Phase Two Of PATCO Rehab Project Begins
By Mark Abrams, Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The next phase of the two-year, $103-million PATCO rail reconstruction project is now underway.
Delaware River Port Authority CEO John Hanson, who oversees the PATCO rail line and the Delaware River bridges, says this phase runs from now through mid-February and should not cause as many delays for riders.
There will still be times when PATCO trains might be running 12-to-16 minutes behind because trains will have to operate on a single track.
"We're working in the portal on the electrification that powers the train and the signalling system," Hanson explains.
That would be from mid-Thursdays through early Monday mornings.
But Hanson says the job site - the tunnel on the Camden side where electrical and signal system work will be done - makes it easier for trains to pass:
"It gives us more flexibility to run around the work and the workers which means that we can run trains closer together."
The new schedule hasn't inconvenienced this PATCO rider too much:
"It really hasn't. It's only a couple of minutes here and there, for my schedule. Some people could have a problem with it. With the schedule I keep, it's not bad at all."
As for work on the Ben Franklin Bridge, Hanson says there will be some lane closures at times, but he's not expecting those will cause too many delays.
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