The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that construction will begin on Monday, March 22, on a project to widen and improve a 1.5-mile section of U.S.1 between the Neshaminy and Penndel/Business U.S. 1 interchanges in Bensalem and Middletown townships, Bucks County.
Beginning Monday, March 22, through Wednesday, March 24, from 8:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, U.S. 1 will be reduced to one lane in each direction while crews set construction barrier along the northbound and southbound shoulders beginning at the ramps on the north side of the Neshaminy Interchange through the Penndel/Business U.S.1 split.
Barrier placement also will take place along the ramp from southbound Business U.S. 1 (Old Lincoln Highway) at the Penndel/Business U.S. 1 exit to southbound U.S. 1, reducing the ramp to a single lane.
Working behind the barriers during the initial stage of the section RC2 project, crews will begin clearing operations and installation of environmental controls before starting large-scale excavation of the northbound and southbound embankments.
In addition to the new lane restrictions, periodic nighttime lane closures also will be in place on northbound and southbound U.S. 1 for the ongoing construction to widen and improve U.S. 1 between the Old Lincoln Highway intersection and the Neshaminy Interchange.
Under the RC2 contract, PennDOT’s contractor will make the following improvements on U.S. 1:
- Construct a third travel lane in each direction from just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bensalem Interchange to the Penndel/U.S.1 Business Interchange;
- Add an auxiliary in each direction between interchanges from the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bensalem Interchange, through the Neshaminy Interchange, to the Penndel/Business U.S.1 Interchange;
- Reconfigure and improve the Neshaminy Interchange;
- Improve the Penndel/Business U.S.1 Interchange by upgrading the ramps to current design standards and installing longer ramp acceleration/deceleration lanes;
- Construct new retaining walls along the northbound exit ramp at the Neshaminy Interchange and along northbound U.S. 1 north and south of the bridge over Neshaminy Creek.
- Install a sound barrier wall along southbound U.S. 1 on the bridge over Business U.S. 1 and CSX/SEPTA rail lines continuing north to Old Lincoln Highway;
- Reconstruct bridges over Rockhill Drive, the Neshaminy Creek (new separate northbound and southbound bridges), and over Business U.S.1 and CSX/SEPTA rail lines (new separate northbound and southbound bridges);
- Reconstruct and improve sections of Rockhill Drive, Business U.S. 1 and Old Lincoln Highway;
- Install 10 new sign structures, three Dynamic Message Signs (DMS), new traffic signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) equipment;
- Relocate water service lines; and
- Upgrade highway drainage and stormwater systems.
JD Eckman, Inc., of Atglen, PA, is the general contractor on the $110.9 million RC2 project, which is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds. Section RC2 construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026.
Section RC2 is the second of three construction contracts to rebuild and widen U.S. 1; replace aging bridges; and install safety enhancements along a four-mile section of the expressway from just north of Philadelphia to just north of Route 413 (Pine Street) in Middletown Township and Langhorne Borough.
