PennDOT Begins Safety Improvement Project Along Rt. 1 In Delco.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--A busy stretch of Route 1 in Delaware County is getting some much-needed safety improvements.
It's dubbed a dangerous stretch of road. Cars quickly whiz by, others dodge traffic across numerous lanes and pedestrians.
"Sometimes trying to get out on the roadway, you're taking your life in your hands," said Bryan Ramona.
Route 1 is a two-and-a-half mile run of Township Line Road, separating Haverford and Upper Darby.
In three years, Haverford Township police have responded to 384 crashes and delivered 3,000 citations.
And the fatalities have piled up.
"We have a tremendous speeding problem and accident problem, both us and Upper Darby," said Chief John Viola, with the Haverford Twp. Police Department.
Bryan Ramona, ironically a traffic reporter for KYW Newsradio, said the tipping point for him was when he watched his neighbor die while pulling out onto Township Line Road.
"That moment was the solidifying moment that said to me I have to do something, no matter what it takes," he said.
Ramona contacted Republican state representative Jamie Santora, who worked with the governor's office, to move this project forward.
Under the improvements:
- PennDOT will reconfigure the four-lane section of U.S. 1 (Township Line Road) to a five-lane section that includes a center turn lane along the corridor
- Resurface the highway from State Road to Harding Drive
- Narrow lane widths
- Install radar display speed signs and speed limit legends at various locations to help reduce speeds
- Perform tree and bush trimming operations along the south side of U.S. 1 between Blythe Avenue and Belfield Avenue
- Install High Friction Surface Treatment (HFST) on the northbound right lane of U.S. 1 (TownshipLine Road) between State Road and Arrowhead Lane to improve safety.
Lane restrictions are scheduled on U.S. 1 (Township Line Road) between State Road and Harding Road on Sunday, July 9, through Thursday, July 13, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM,
The project is scheduled to be completed in August.
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