Upper Merion Township Public Works Department

02/13/2018

Good Morning Everyone. We just received this latest update from PA DOT:
Dear U.S. 422 News Release Recipient:

The traffic shift scheduled for tonight on westbound U.S. 422 in the Valley Forge area has been postponed due to low temperatures. There will be no lane closures or traffic stoppages tonight into Wednesday morning on westbound U.S. 422 between the U.S. 202 and Oaks interchanges. A new press release will be issued when this operation is rescheduled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,
Brad Rudolph

Brad E. Rudolph | Deputy Communications Director 2
PA Department of Transportation | Engineering District 6
7000 Geerdes Boulevard | King of Prussia, PA 19406
Phone: 610.205.6800 | Fax: 610.205.6905

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02/08/2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 8, 2018

U.S. 422 West Traffic to Shift onto Newly Completed Bridge over the Schuylkill River in Valley Forge Area
U.S. 422 lane restrictions, ramp closures planned next week

King of Prussia, PA – Westbound U.S. 422 motorists will encounter lane closures and temporary stoppages next week as crews prepare to shift two lanes of westbound traffic onto the newly built westbound bridge over the Schuylkill River in Upper Merion and West Norriton townships, Montgomery County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today.

Weather permitting, from 8:00 PM Tuesday, February 13, to 6:00 AM Wednesday, February 14, right and left lane closures with periodic 15-minute traffic stoppages will occur on westbound U.S. 422 between the U.S. 202 and Oaks interchanges so crews can place barriers and perform temporary paving and line striping operations. By 6:00 AM Wednesday, February 14, westbound U.S. 422 traffic will be shifted onto the newly constructed westbound bridge. In the event of inclement weather, this operation will be moved to the following night.

PennDOT plans to move two lanes of eastbound traffic over to the new multi-span bridge this summer to enable the contractor to remove the existing U.S. 422 structure and build a new bridge that will eventually carry eastbound traffic across the river.

In addition to the overnight lane closures on westbound U.S. 422, there will be lane restrictions on eastbound U.S. 422 and short-term and long-term ramp closures at Route 23 (Valley Forge Road). The work schedule is:

• Monday afternoon, February 12, the ramp from eastbound U.S. 422 to Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) is scheduled to close for construction of a new fly-over ramp at that interchange. The ramp closure will be in place through late summer. During construction, motorists will be directed to continue eastbound on U.S. 422, exit at First Avenue and make a left on Gulph Road to reach Route 23 (Valley Forge Road);

• Monday, February 12, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, a right lane closure is scheduled on eastbound U.S. 422 between the Route 363 (Trooper Road) and Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) interchanges; and

• Tuesday, February 13, from 7:00 PM to 6:00 AM the following morning, the ramp from westbound Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) to westbound U.S. 422 will be closed. During construction, westbound Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) motorists will be directed to take the ramp to eastbound U.S. 422, exit at First Avenue, turn left onto Gulph Road and right on Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) to access the ramp to westbound U.S. 422.

Drivers should allow additional time for travel near the construction zones because backups and delays will occur.

This work is part of a project to build new, wider bridges to improve travel and carry U.S. 422 motorists over the Schuylkill River, Norfolk Southern Railroad, South Trooper Road and Schuylkill River Trail. The existing structures were built in 1965 and carry an average of 92,000 vehicles a day.

The new, five-span structures will be 785 feet long and have a total width of 146 feet (the bridge’s existing width is 72 feet). When construction is completed, the new bridges will carry six lanes – three westbound and three eastbound. There will be two through lanes in each direction plus a third lane on both sides for drivers to use to travel between the Route 363 (Trooper Road) and Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) interchanges. The new bridges will be wide enough for the possible addition of a third through lane in each direction sometime in the future.

The improvement plan also includes rebuilding one mile of U.S. 422 between the two interchanges, and upgrading the interchanges by: realigning the U.S. 422 east off-ramp to Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) by building a new fly-over ramp; improving the Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) on-ramp to U.S. 422 west; replacing the Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) bridge over U.S. 422; rebuilding 1,500 feet of Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) approaching the U.S. 422 Interchange; improving the U.S. 422 west off-ramp to Route 363 (Trooper Road) and the Route 363 (Trooper Road) on-ramp to U.S. 422 east; and widening the U.S. 422 east off-ramp to First Avenue.

Construction on this improvement project began in February 2016 and is scheduled to finish in May 2020.

This project is associated with the Schuylkill River Crossing Complex of transportation improvement projects designed to enhance travel on U.S. 422 between the Route 363 (Trooper Road) and Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) interchanges. These improvements also include the two additional ramps built to complete the U.S. 422/Route 363 (Trooper Road) Interchange, a project that was finished in December 2015; the construction of a new pedestrian/bicycle trail bridge over the Schuylkill River in Valley Forge National Historical Park, which was completed in August 2016; and the relocation of North Gulph Road at Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) in Valley Forge National Historical Park, which is expected to move to construction in 2020.

J.D. Eckman, Inc. of Atglen, Chester County, is the general contractor on the $97.4 million project that is financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.

For additional information on U.S. 422 improvement projects, visit www.422improvements.com.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

A list of weekly road restrictions and PennDOT maintenance operations in the five-county Philadelphia region is available by visiting the District 6 Traffic Bulletin at www.penndot.gov/District6.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 850 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

MEDIA CONTACT: Brad Rudolph, 610-205-6800

10/03/2017

Good Morning Everyone,
Our 2017 Road Resurfacing has begun and will run for approximately the next 2 to 4 weeks, weather permitting. Here is a picture of the road milling operation on Lower East Valley Forge Road.

09/27/2017

Good Morning Everyone.
Our Traffic Services folks received the following notification yesterday afternoon:

FYI- PA DOT Long line painting on Township roads agility agreement

PA DOT called us late yesterday and said they will be in today and tomorrow to do our long line painting, weather permitting.
All complaints of paint on vehicles should be directed to Pendot

http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-12/Pages/FAQS.aspx

How Do I Get Traffic Line Paint Off Of My Car?

As soon as possible after getting paint from road stripes on vehicle wash the vehicle at a pressure car wash. This will loosen and remove most of the paint unless it has dried for more than a day.
If the car wash does not remove the paint, allow the water to dry off the vehicle. Spray the paint residue with WD-40 and allow the WD-40 to stay on the area for 1-2 hours and rewash the vehicle. The WD-40 will soften the traffic paint without hurting the vehicle finish. If there is a heavy concentration, repeat the procedure.

For heavy accumulations or paint that has dried for several days, apply a liberal coating of petroleum jelly to the dried traffic paint and allow to stay on overnight. Take vehicle to a pressure car wash and wash. This should remove most of the traffic paint. Repeat the procedure if needed.

*DO NOT SCRUB THE FINISH WITH A SOLVENT OR SCOURING CLEANSER!!!! THIS WILL DAMAGE THE FINISH.

After cleaning the paint away apply a good car wax to the vehicle’s finish. Wax should remove any lasting signs of the traffic paint.

Wheel wells are very difficult to remove the paint from since they are normally a flat finish. Apply a liberal coating of petroleum jelly to the area and leave for several days and then pressure wash. Applying an alcohol such as Solox or Rubbing Alcohol to the area in the wheel well will help to soften any residue left after the petroleum jelly.

Again DO NOT SCRUB! Just apply with a very wet rag or sponge.

09/26/2017

Good Morning Everyone. Please see the following PA DOT bulletin below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 22, 2017

PennDOT to Begin Rehabilitation of Gypsy Lane Bridge over Interstate 76 in Montgomery County

King of Prussia, PA – Construction is scheduled to begin Monday, October 2, on a seven-week project to rehabilitate the structurally-deficient bridge carrying Gypsy Lane over Interstate 76 in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today.

Due to the nature of the repairs, Gypsy Lane will be closed between South Gulph Road and Hughes Road. Gypsy Lane motorists will be detoured over South Gulph Road, Weadley Road and Hughes Road. The bridge is expected to reopen in mid-November.

Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area because slowdowns will occur. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone. The work schedule is weather dependent.

As part of the rehabilitation, crews will repair the existing concrete bridge deck using hydro demolition and apply a latex modified concrete overlay, replace expansion joints at the abutments as well as complete other scheduled repairs. The bridge will no longer be structurally deficient following this rehabilitation work.

The three-span, steel-I beam bridge was built in 1950. It is 198 feet long and 32 feet wide. The structure carries about 1,721 vehicles a day.

The structure is one of 11 bridges in Bucks, Chester and Montgomery counties that PennDOT is repairing under a $5,505,505 project financed by Act 89, the state’s transportation plan.

The bridges carrying northbound and southbound U.S. 1 over Church Road in New Garden Township, Chester County, and the bridge carrying Township Road over U.S. 1 in Lower Oxford Township, Chester County, are currently under construction.

Structures completed under this project include the University Road bridge over U.S. 1 in Upper Oxford Township, Chester County; the Spring Garden Street bridge over Interstate 76 in West Conshohocken Borough, Montgomery County; and the Terwood Road bridge over Pennypack Creek in Upper Moreland Township, Montgomery County.

The other four bridges included in this rehabilitation project include:

• Thatcher Road over Tohickon Creek in Richland Township, Bucks County;
• Thatcher Road over Dimple Creek in Haycock Township, Bucks County;
• Cowpath Road over Perkiomen Creek in Salford and Franconia townships, Montgomery County; and
• Farmington Avenue over Route 100 in Upper Pottsgrove, Montgomery County.

Work on the entire project is expected to be completed in October 2019.

Loftus Construction, Inc., of Cinnaminson, N.J., is the general contractor on the project which is financed with 100 percent state funds through Act 89, Pennsylvania’s transportation plan.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

A list of weekly road restrictions and PennDOT maintenance operations in the five-county Philadelphia region is available by visiting the District 6 Traffic Bulletin at www.penndot.gov/District6.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 825 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

MEDIA CONTACT: Bob Kent, 610-205-6801

09/18/2017

Good Afternoon Everyone.
We have been made aware of the upcoming PA DOT project below. Please direct all pertinent questions to the project manager listed below.

Reference: SR3102; Gypsy Lane

Subject: Notification of Road Closure

To whom it may concern:

Pursuant to the Project Specifications, please allow this correspondence to serve as notification of our intention to close Gypsy Lane to both pedestrian and vehicular traffic on or about Monday October 2, 2017. This bridge rehabilitation project is under a contract with the PA Department of Transportation, ECMS Contract 89337. The project is located between South Gulph Road, and Hughes Road.

It is anticipated that the closure will be in place approximately 45 Calendar Days. The detour will be posted and signage installed in accordance with PADOT plans and Standards. Access to local businesses and driveways will be maintained throughout the duration of the project.

A copy of the Detour Plan is attached for your use. Every effort will be made to minimize the impact and duration of the project, your cooperation is appreciated. Should there be any questions or concerns regarding the above information, please do not hesitate to contact this office.

Sincerely,

John S. Muir
Project Manager
Office: 856-786-6607
Cell: 609-685-4176

09/14/2017

Attended a Rt 422 Stakeholders Meeting this morning at PA DOT. It appears the Route 23 East Ramp to Rt. 422 East will not be opening today due to weather issues. The ramp opening is now planned for early next week.

09/12/2017

Thanks to our Township Manager, Dave Kraynik, we have been made aware of the following recycling event:

Recycling Drop-off Event

October 7 at Home Depot, King of Prussia
One day only! Drop off your old air conditioner and get a $25 rebate from PECO. We'll even unload it from your vehicle, making drop-off easy and convenient!
When: Saturday, October 7, 2017, 8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Where: Home Depot parking lot, 181 S. Gulph Road, King of Prussia, PA 19406
Eligibility
• You must be a PECO residential electric customer to participate.
• Please bring your valid PECO account number with you, or a copy of your recent PECO electric bill.
• Room A/C units must be in working condition.
• We will accept two (2) working A/C units per customer.
• Your $25 rebate will be mailed to you in 4-6 weeks.
Visit peco.com/recycling or call 1-888-5-PECO-SAVE (1-888-573-2672) to learn more.

09/01/2017

Good Morning Everyone. Please see the info below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 28, 2017

Aqua Pennsylvania to Close Church Road Weekdays for Utility Improvements in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County

King of Prussia, PA – Aqua Pennsylvania is scheduled to close Church Road weekdays between Gulph Road and Henderson Road in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County, on Monday, September 11, through late October, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, for water main installation, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today.

During construction, Church Road motorists will be detoured over Gulph Road and Henderson Road.

Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone. Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling near the work area because slowdowns will occur during construction. The schedule is weather dependent.

Aqua Pennsylvania will complete these projects under a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those made possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the department’s Four and Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

A list of weekly road restrictions and PennDOT maintenance operations in the five-county Philadelphia region is available by visiting the District 6 Traffic Bulletin at www.penndot.gov/District6.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 825 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the department on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

MEDIA CONTACT: Chelsea Lacey-Mabe, 610-205-6799

07/13/2017

Good Afternoon Everyone,
The PWD has just been made aware of the upcoming Aqua Utility Project below:
Dear Customer,
As part of our continuing infrastructure improvement program, Aqua Pennsylvania (Aqua) will replace the existing 12-inch and 8-inch cast iron water main on the following streets in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County:
• Allendale Road between 1st Avenue and Elliott Drive
• Elliott Drive between Allendale and Anthony roads
• Behind 600 and 620 Allendale Road in the right of way

The new 12-inch and 8-inch ductile iron main will increase service reliability, reduce the potential for discolored water and improve firefighting capabilities in the area. The $868,000 project is scheduled to begin the week of July 24, 2017 with the installation of 1,400 feet of 8-inch and 2,700 feet of 12-inch ductile iron pipe, with completion expected in October. Aqua will have an inspector on the job each day to answer your questions.

Following the installation of the new water main, there will be a period of time during which the main will be chlorinated and tested before being put into service. Activity on the job site will be limited during this phase. Once testing has been completed, we will transfer each water service and any fire hydrants onto the new main, then make the final connections on the side streets and abandon the old main. It is important to note that the trench will be covered with temporary black top at the end of each work day. Permanent restoration will be complete in the fall of 2017.

Construction will typically take place weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Access will be provided for emergency, mail and trash services. Residents will have access to their properties, but at times will need to enter from different directions due to changing work zones. We will notify customers 24 hours in advance of any scheduled shutdown. However, as with any construction project, an emergency shutdown might be necessary. If so, we will restore service as soon as possible.

If you have any questions regarding the project, please contact me at 610.430.0747. Should you have an emergency, including a water quality issue, please call our Customer Service Department or emergency dispatcher at 877.987.2782.

We appreciate your patience and cooperation during this construction while we make important improvements to the water distribution system.

Sincerely,

Jim Rosser
Construction Superintendent – Great Valley Division

07/05/2017

Good Morning Everyone.
The PWD just want to let everyone know that later this week and/or early next week our stormwater consulting engineer, Gannett Fleming will have a couple of field staff personnel out and about confirming some measurements of culverts, etc. They will not be entering onto any private property. They will be wearing safety vests and will be carrying Gannett Fleming identification..

06/13/2017

Please be advised GoreCon Inc. will be conducting annual w**d control on various concrete islands and guiderails during the week of June 19th . This work will take place during the overnight hours to avoid any traffic congestion. I have attached a list of areas that will be addressed.

Upper Merion Township
175 W. Valley Forge Road
King of Prussia PA, 19406

Township Roads/Property
 Wills Boulevard - (From Mall to Allendale)
 Allendale Road Bridges (Over turnpike and Crow Creek)
 Mall Boulevard – (From N. Gulph to Pulaski Drive)
 Mall Boulevard – (From 202 to Wills Boulevard)
 Church Road Bridge – (Between Drew Court and Yerkes Road, all guide rail)
 Mancill Mill Road Salt Shed (Fence line)
 Fence Line on Valley Brooke Road (Norfolk Southern)
 Guardrail on Weadley Road between S. Gulph & Expressway bridge
 Guardrail on Crooked Lane (Between School Line Rd and Septa overpass)
 Saulin Boulevard (From Rt 202 to Henderson Road along guardrail)
 Township Public Works Garage (466 E. Church Rd)
 Sidewalk along South Gulph Rd (Bill Smith to Haley Jackson)

Small Islands

 West Beidler at Vandenberg
 Croton Road & Brooks Road
 Croton Road & South Gulph Road
 Trinity Lane & South Gulph Road
 Trinity Lane & Swedland Road
 Swedeland Road & River Road
 Matsonford Road & North Gulph
 Goddard Blvd at Mall Blvd
 Geerdes Blvd at Allendale

State Roads

 North Gulph Road – (From 202 to 422 overpass)
 South Gulph & 202
 Route 202 – (From Dekalb Pike (Bridgeport Paint) to N. Gulph Road)
 Do not spray grass or shrubbery. Only spray concrete seams.