FAQ

The purpose of this project is to facilitate safe and efficient travel within and through the project study area to meet current and future transportation needs while providing a functional and modern roadway that meets driver expectations.

We anticipate additional virtual plans display (via this project website) and a virtual public meeting in 2025 as part of the Environmental Assessment process. Invitations and announcements will be made once the public meeting has been scheduled. Comments can be submitted at any time via the comment section of this website, email to info@us1bucks.com (opens in a new tab),  or in writing to:

Sibty Hasan, P.E., P.M.P.
PennDOT District 6-0
7000 Geerdes Boulevard
King of Prussia, PA 19406

The project is currently in the process of beginning additional (more detailed) environmental reviews through an Environmental Assessment. This began in November 2024 and will involve additional public involvement, including a public hearing.

PennDOT considered an alternative that involved the replacement of the existing raised concrete traffic islands with full width paved shoulders and concrete median barrier separating mainline SR 0001 traffic from service road traffic. The alternative would eliminate the intermediate crossovers requiring entrance and exit at the northern and southern endpoints of the service roads and would replace the existing West Interchange Road overpass.

This alternative was presented at a public officials’ meeting, open house public plans display, and town hall meeting in May and September 2014. The public raised concerns involving increased traffic volumes along the service roads, increased emergency services response times to incidents along mainline SR 0001, and lack of noise mitigation.

• A traffic study was completed at the time this alternative was being developed. The results of that study determined there would be an increase in traffic volumes along the service roads (the southbound service road ranges from an 18.0% increase to a 625.0% increase with northbound ranging from 28.0% to 760.0% between 2050 no build and 2050 build conditions). It was determined this alternative would meet the need of improving current design standards; however, it would not meet the needs of safety or improving system continuity and driver expectations.
  2050 No Build Frontage Road Volumes
  2050 Build Frontage Road Without Crossovers Volumes
• Improving system continuity and driver expectations. This alternative would not improve system continuity due to the continued indirect manner in which the traffic would need to travel to access between SR 0001 and PA 413, or access between SR 0001 and Old Lincoln Highway and Highland Avenue.  Additionally, this alternative would not improve driver expectations because the expectation for SR 0001 in this area would be to have interchanges providing access between major crossing arterials.
• Existing roadway configurations and traffic conditions contribute to safety concerns in the project area. The alternative does not meet the safety need because the post construction design is very similar to the existing although it does remove the potential crash clusters at the intermediate crossovers. Additionally, per the local EMS feedback, the alternative would potentially excessively increase EMS response times because they would not be able to access SR 0001 by crossing over the concrete islands since there would be proposed concrete median barrier separating the service roads from SR 0001.

For those reasons, coupled with the public’s concerns, this alternative was dismissed from further study.

The detailed traffic analysis can be found in the U.S. 1 Frontage Road Traffic Assessment Technical Memorandum, dated July 2012, located in the project technical file.

This project will not widen PA 413 (Pine Street) north of Flowers Avenue. Additionally, PennDOT does not have any plans for the future widening of PA 413 (Pine Street) through Langhorne Borough.

The project will not significantly increase traffic on PA 413 north of Gillam Avenue. It is anticipated that some traffic will redistribute between the existing PA 213 (Maple Avenue) interchange and the proposed PA 413 (Pine Street) interchange.

However, since there are already connections between U.S. 1 and PA 413 via Bellevue Avenue and Gillam Avenue in the area of the proposed interchange, traffic is not expected to increase significantly based on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Travel Model and PennDOT traffic analysis.

Traffic Volume Comparison – 413

Overall, the RC3 project will result in minor increases in traffic on Langhorne Manor’s Gillam Avenue. It is anticipated that traffic will redistribute along Gillam Avenue at each intersection based on driver destinations.

Based on updated PennDOT traffic analysis completed in 2024, AM peak hour traffic is projected to see a 29% increase, which is an average increase of 50 vehicles per intersection for the nine (9) intersections studied along Gillam Avenue, and the PM peak hour is anticipated to see a 17% increase, which is an average increase of 35 vehicles per intersection for the nine (9) intersections studied along Gillam Avenue.

Almost all of this increase is expected to be east of the intersection with West Interchange Road, with the largest increase occurring at the intersection with Pine Street due to the new interchange. It is expected that the increase will be mostly local traffic that previously used the frontage road, now traveling to the newly constructed interchange.

Operationally, the most affected stop-controlled intersections are projected to still operate with minimal delay. At the same time, the internal neighborhood roads will see a decrease in cut-through traffic as traffic is redistributed onto the collector and arterial roads. PennDOT is also investigating additional traffic-calming treatment options along Gillam Avenue.

Traffic Volume Comparison – Gillam

The RC3 project will not significantly increase truck traffic through Langhorne Borough. It is anticipated that some truck traffic that currently utilizes the existing PA 213 (Maple Avenue) interchange to travel north on PA 413 (Pine Street) will redistribute to the proposed PA 413 (Pine Street) interchange. This would allow the trucks to avoid making tight right turns at the intersection of PA 413 (Pine Street) and PA 213 (Maple Avenue) and allow a straight-through movement. These projections are based on the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s Regional Travel Model and PennDOT traffic analysis.

PennDOT’s traffic count data from February 2024 showed 8 Heavy Trucks and 104 buses/single unit trucks (or 112 total trucks/buses) in the morning peak hour and 6 Heavy Trucks and 49 buses/single unit trucks (or 55 total trucks/buses) in the afternoon peak hour.

PennDOT’s online traffic count data from 2024 indicates 3% truck traffic and 511 total trucks and buses along PA 413 (Pine Street) north of the intersection, and 12% truck traffic and 1522 total trucks and buses along PA 413 (Pine Street) south of the intersection.

As part of the Environmental Assessment, PennDOT conducted new wholesale traffic counts of the entire project area and surrounding roadways in winter 2024 to ensure as accurate an assessment as possible of the existing traffic conditions along the entire project corridor. PennDOT then updated and re-calculated all of the traffic analysis for the project in a report dated October 2024. PennDOT has continued to incorporate additional traffic data and update its analysis and report, with newer versions dated February 2025 and most recently September 2025. The current version can be found at the following link, Traffic and Safety Analysis Report.

Two new traffic signals will be added along PA 413 (Pine Street) as part of this project. One traffic signal will be at the intersection of PA 413 (Pine Street) with the proposed U.S. 1 northbound ramp and Woods Drive, and the second traffic signal will be at the intersection of PA 413 (Pine Street) with the proposed U.S. 1 southbound ramp and Gillam Avenue. The traffic signals will control and direct traffic through these intersections. Crosswalks and bicycle/pedestrian facilities will be provided for and accommodated at these intersections.

The PennDOT design team investigated proposed roundabouts at the PA 413 / proposed U.S. 1 ramp intersections and found that due to traffic flow patterns, specifically at the PA 413 / U.S. 1 SB ramp intersection, proposed roundabouts result in traffic queuing (backing up) onto U.S. 1 during peak travel times within 10 years (2035). As such, roundabouts at these intersections are no longer being considered.

Roundabout Analysis – Single Lane

Roundabout Analysis – Dual Lane

Modern roundabouts are not the same as traffic circles and provide significant safety and operational improvements over traffic circles. Please watch the video at the following link for further explanation. https://youtu.be/nNXRlWgAVOg (opens in a new tab)

Yes, the project provides the following proposed pedestrian and bicycle accommodations:

• A 10-foot-wide sidepath is proposed along the east side of PA 413 (Pine Street), and a 5-foot-wide sidewalk is proposed along the west side of PA 413 (Pine Street) within the project limits to connect the existing sidewalks north and south of the project.
• 5-foot-wide paved shoulders will be provided on the West Interchange Road and Corn Crib Lane overpasses.
• In areas where the existing frontage (service) roads are no longer needed, the design team is investigating replacing the existing pavement with a shared-use (pedestrian and bicyclist) path. This is being done in coordination with the local municipalities.  As of now, Middletown Township has voiced its support for including a shared-use path, while Langhorne Manor Borough has requested not to have the path within their respective boundaries.

The current design for PA 413 (Pine Street) includes both a sidewalk along the southbound side and a sidepath along the northbound side to facilitate both bicycle and pedestrian traffic along Pine Street. Additionally, crosswalks and pedestrian signal phases are proposed at both interchange ramp intersections to safely facilitate bicycle and pedestrian crossings.

A detailed noise study is being completed for the project. If warranted, reasonable, and feasible in accordance with PennDOT Publication 24 (opens in a new tab), noise walls will be proposed as part of this project.

In areas where noise walls are proposed, the local impacted property owners will have a vote on whether to accept the noise wall.  A simple majority will determine whether the potential proposed noise wall will be incorporated into the project.

Construction is currently anticipated to begin in 2029. Due to the complexity of the proposed project, construction is anticipated to take three years to complete.

The local municipality is responsible for the maintenance of the existing service roads. In the future build condition, the local municipality will be responsible for the remaining portions of the service roads with certain exceptions.

In areas where the frontage (service) roads are needed for access to adjacent properties, they will be retained but disconnected from U.S. 1. In areas where existing frontage roads are no longer needed, the design team is investigating replacing the existing pavement with a shared-use (pedestrian and bicyclist) path. This is being done in coordination with the local municipalities.

In areas where frontage roads are no longer needed, the adjacent connecting local roads will be terminated with hammerhead turnarounds. Hammerhead turnarounds are being proposed instead of cul-de-sacs to minimize impacts to adjacent property owners.

This traffic will access US 1 using the interchange at PA 413 (Pine Street) or the access points at Old Lincoln Highway and Highland Ave.

Based on Streetlight data collected by the design team and verified by Inrix data collected by PennDOT for the existing conditions, when traffic leaves U.S. 1 southbound via the southbound service road and exits onto Bellevue Avenue, 49.0% in the AM peak hour and 60.4% in the PM peak hour are traveling toward Newtown with the second highest portion of traffic being residential traffic living in the adjacent neighborhoods.

When traffic leaves U.S. 1 northbound via the northbound service road and exits onto Bellevue Avenue, 42.8% in the AM peak hour is traveling to the adjacent neighborhoods and 43.6% of traffic in the PM peak hour is traveling south onto Pine Street toward Business Route 1. The second largest portions of the traffic in the AM peak hour are split traveling north or south on PA 413 and the second largest portions of the traffic in the PM peak hour are split between the adjacent neighborhoods and heading north on PA 413 toward Newtown. The following graphics depict the breakdown for all traffic exiting U.S. 1 via Bellevue Avenue. Origin-Destination-Data

All of this data was coupled with PennDOT’s actual traffic counts to better understand current traffic patterns and calibrate the proposed traffic model.

PennDOT understands the concern with safety on the local roadway network. The Department has incorporated traffic calming within the current project limits and will continue working with local officials to identify additional reasonable traffic calming accommodations, where feasible.

First and foremost, the project addresses safety by closing the intermediate access crossovers between the frontage roads and U.S. 1. These locations are known to have a high crash frequency.

Secondly, the project replaces the concrete separator islands with proposed 12-foot to 14-foot-wide paved shoulders and concrete median barriers. These improvements provide safe pull-off areas for disabled vehicles as well as keep errant vehicles on U.S. 1.

Thirdly, the project replaces the remaining three overpasses on U.S. 1 between I-295 and the I-276 (PA Turnpike) that have deficient vertical clearance, which reduces the likelihood of vehicles striking the overpasses.

Predictive safety analysis of the above-mentioned improvements indicates that fewer crashes are expected in this build scenario versus the no build scenario along U.S. 1 and the service roads. This reduction can be attributed to the removal of the service roads and the associated intermediate crossovers. Additionally, crashes on the overall local road network are expected to remain essentially the same, with a minimal reduction in the build scenario that can be attributed to the installation of the proposed roundabouts and mini-roundabout.

Safety Data

If your property (or a portion of your property) is needed for the project, a PennDOT representative will contact you once plans have been prepared for the Acquisition of Right-of-Way in the final design phase of the project. See the brochure below for more information.

https://www.dot.state.pa.us/public/PubsForms/Publications/PUB%2083.pdf

PennDOT and the project team provide updates on this website and through our email subscription list. Click here to subscribe to email updates.

Over the footprint of the entire project, it is anticipated that approximately 3 acres of impervious surface will be removed and converted to green space (not accounting for a potential multi-use trail in place of the removed sections of frontage road).

Following guidance outlined in PennDOT’s Design Manual* the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process for this project was coordinated between PennDOT**, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the project design consultant team.

Based on these discussions, the anticipated proposed project improvements, along with recent guidance from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), PennDOT, and the FHWA concluded that the environmental study for Section RC3 would be an Environmental Assessment (EA), as the significance of the impacts was not yet fully known.

During the past several years, the project team has been completing the necessary environmental and engineering studies, coordinating with the various review agencies, conducting municipal and public outreach efforts, developing impact assessments, and identifying avoidance, minimization, and mitigation efforts for the project.

PennDOT will be using this information to prepare the EA documentation and will make this material available for public comment prior to finalizing the environmental process for this project, currently anticipated in Fall 2025 / Winter 2026.

1. *Publication 10B – Design Manual Part 1B (Post-TIP NEPA Procedures) (opens in a new tab)
2. ** PennDOT District 6-0 and PennDOT Central Office

After thorough review of the archaeological report’s documentation, as well as review of maps and aerial photographs demonstrating the evolution of the cultural landscape on the cemetery block, no evidence was found that the Revolutionary War cemetery extends into the proposed RC3 project footprint. The portion of the proposed project footprint in the vicinity of the cemetery underwent an archaeological resources identification survey, and no evidence of the cemetery was encountered.

The RC3 project design team is aware of the sensitivity of the cemetery and its vicinity. They will notify the PennDOT District 6-0 cultural resources professionals if the proposed design were to change and cause an impact to any areas that were not previously investigated. If there is a change that expands the design plans outside of previously investigated areas, PennDOT will complete additional surveys.

The ground disturbance footprint of where PennDOT proposes to construct two U.S. 1 ramps and widen PA 413 (Pine Street) has undergone an archaeological resources identification survey. No Indigenous archaeological sites were encountered.

The RC3 project design team will notify the PennDOT District 6-0 cultural resources professionals if the proposed design were to change and cause an impact to any areas that were not previously investigated. If there is a change that expands the design plans outside of previously investigated areas, PennDOT will complete additional surveys.

PA 413 (Pine Street) is federally classified as a Regional Principal Arterial. This classification of roadway is meant to carry most trips entering and leaving the area and serves intra-area travel. In the existing condition, U.S. 1 traffic must exit the mainline via frontage roads and then disperse onto neighborhood streets, and then travelers work their way to a major street (e.g., Pine Street) to continue or complete their trips. Providing a direct connection to PA 413 (Pine Street) via an interchange reduces traffic on neighborhood streets and places vehicles directly onto PA 413 (Pine Street) via a modern interchange design.

The current roadway layout does essentially function as an informal interchange in the existing condition. Currently, southbound U.S.1 traffic exits onto the southbound service road, then turns right onto Bellevue Avenue. and either stays straight up to PA 213 (Maple Avenue) or it turns right onto Gillam Avenue to access PA 413 (Pine Street). Likewise, northbound U.S. 1 traffic exits onto the northbound service road, then turns right onto Bellevue Avenue to access PA 413 (Pine Street). Bellevue Avenue is a state route but is only classified as a Minor Arterial and is primarily a residential neighborhood street within the immediate vicinity.

Through the project development process, three final build alternatives were selected by the project team for further study. The three alternatives were Alternative 1 (Frontage Road Access Modifications), Alternative 2A (ParClo), and Alternative 2B (DDI). These alternatives included the original preferred alternative for the project and two interchange alternatives. A summary comparison of the three build alternatives is as follows and shown in the Alternatives Comparison Table.

Alternative 1 has the lowest estimated construction cost and is least impactful in terms of anticipated right-of-way, utility, environmental, and structural impacts. However, this alternative was previously dismissed due to not fully and effectively addressing the project purpose and need, as well as public concerns involving increased traffic volumes along the service roads, increased emergency services response times to incidents along mainline SR 0001, and lack of noise mitigation.

When comparing the two interchange alternatives from a traffic operations perspective, both the ParCLO and DDI interchange signalized intersections are expected to operate acceptably in the 2050 design year with all interchange intersections expected to operate at LOS C or better in the ParCLO in both peak hours and LOS B or better in the DDI in both peak hours. The DDI is expected to operate better than the ParCLO at the interchange intersections, which is expected due to the need for only two phases at each of the signalized intersections that is inherent in the DDI design. At other study area intersections adjacent to the interchanges, the ParCLO and DDI alternatives are expected to have similar operations with queues and delay expected to increase at adjacent intersections due to added volume on SR 0413 in both alternatives. However, queues on SR 0413 in the DDI alternative are expected to be longer and potentially impact the SR 0001 southbound off-ramp. In terms of predicted safety performance on the freeway segments, the two alternatives are predicted to be similar. The DDI interchange intersections are predicted to have a slightly lower crash frequency than the other alternatives.

The DDI is expected to be more impactful in terms of right-of-way, structural and access impacts and construction cost. The DDI will impact all four quadrants of the proposed interchange area, requiring more right-of-way, whereas the ParCLO will only have significant impacts to two quadrants. When compared with the ParCLO, the DDI will require either two additional structures or one additional structure and an additional span on the PA 413 (Pine Street) structure over SR 0001 for the proposed SR 0001 Southbound on- and off-ramps to Gillam Avenue. The DDI also removes direct access between PA 413 (Pine Street) and Gillam Avenue and restricts access to Woods Drive to right-in / right-out only on PA 413 (Pine Street). The ParCLO maintains full access between PA 413 (Pine Street) and Gillam Avenue and Woods Drive while also providing a full access interchange between PA 413 (Pine Street) and SR 0001.

Alternative 2A ParCLO was identified as the preferred interchange option for this project area due to addressing the project purpose and need and being less impactful in terms of right-of-way, access, structures and construction cost compared to Alternative 2B DDI.

Current practice is to provide 16’-6” of clearance for a bridge over a highway like U.S. 1. PA 413 (Pine Street) is posted for a minimum clearance of 13’-11” and has been accidentally struck previously, most recently on April 12, 2022, by under-passing trucks.

PennDOT is only able to restrict truck traffic based on engineering justification (e.g., deficient vertical clearances, bridge weight limitations, pavement structure) or due to traffic conditions. PA routes and primary highways are generally not posted with truck restrictions and are preferred highway facilities to accommodate truck traffic (in comparison to neighborhood streets).

Changes to the designation of PA 413 are not part of this project. The designation or redesignation of PA 413 would involve the Bucks County Planning Commission and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission in coordination with PennDOT and other regional stakeholders. Any redesignation of PA 413 needs to examine regional travel patterns, which are beyond the scope of this project.  With the availability of modern traffic routing tools and smartphone applications, such a redesignation would likely have a minimal effect on traffic volumes passing through Langhorne Borough.

PennDOT and its design consultant engineer previously completed an initial high-level investigation into both a tunneling option and a potential depressed roadway alternative with access (bridge) crossings. The initial investigations had the cost of tunneling in the range of $900M to $1.3B based on similar projects nationwide. The initial investigations into a depressed roadway (excluding capping with green space) were in the range of $300M to $400M. Additionally, future maintenance would also need to be taken into account, which is considerably higher for an underground facility when compared to a typical at-grade roadway.  Lastly, detailed studies/reports were not completed for either option to determine constructability/feasibility.

Access will be provided at all times during construction to residences and businesses where construction takes place.

To limit congestion, queues, and delays due to construction, 2 lanes of traffic will be maintained in both directions on the U.S. 1 mainline and along Street Road from 5 AM to 9 PM. Based on experience along the corridor, traffic will be able to be reduced to 1 lane in each direction from 9 PM to 5 PM, when traffic volumes are much lower.

At certain times throughout the life of the project, 15-minute rolling traffic stoppages are anticipated to allow for overhead work such as bridge demolition, bridge beam installation, overhead sign structure truss installation, etc. These traffic stoppages will be limited to occur during overnight hours when traffic volumes are the lowest.

Due to high traffic volumes and the need to maintain 2 lanes of traffic in each direction on U.S. 1 from 5 AM to 9 PM, certain construction operations will be restricted to nighttime work when additional working room (i.e., additional lane closures) is necessary. PennDOT will attempt to limit the amount of nighttime work permitted through requirements included in the contract documents.

The construction duration within the RC2 corridor is currently anticipated to take approximately 5.5 years total, through Summer 2026; however, it should be noted that this schedule is subject to factors such as utility relocations, weather, etc.

Use the form on the Contact Us section of the website at any time with your questions or concerns about the construction operation. We will usually respond that same day or shortly thereafter.

Sound barriers will be placed along U.S. 1 SB from the southern end of the new U.S. 1 SB bridge over SR 2037 and the CSX/SEPTA railroad tracks north to the Old Lincoln Highway/Service Road entrance to U.S. 1 SB.

On this website and through our email subscription list.

Yes, construction was completed on RC1 in December 2022.