Yes, construction was completed on RC1 in December 2022.
Will PennDOT be performing additional traffic counts to ensure they have the latest data?
As part of the Environmental Assessment, PennDOT will be conducting additional traffic counts throughout the entire project area to ensure as accurate an assessment as possible of the existing traffic conditions along the entire project corridor.
Has PennDOT performed traffic counts for the PA 213 (Maple Avenue) / PA 413 (Pine Street) intersection and what was the truck volume?
PennDOT’s traffic count data from 2018 showed 16 Heavy Trucks and 67 buses/single unit trucks (or 83 total trucks/buses) in the morning peak hour and 5 Heavy Trucks and 51 buses/single unit trucks (or 56 total trucks/buses) in the afternoon peak hour. PennDOT’s online traffic count data from 2021 indicates 4% truck traffic along PA 413 (Pine Street), which equates with an average of 40 trucks and buses per hour.
What is the status of PennDOT’s current preferred alternative and where does the project currently stand?
The project is currently in the process of beginning additional (more detailed) environmental reviews through an Environmental Assessment. This will begin in Fall 2023 and will involve additional public involvement including a public hearing.
When will construction begin? How long will construction last?
Construction is currently scheduled to begin in late 2026. Due to the complexity of the proposed project, construction is anticipated to take three years to complete.
Can PA 413 be redesignated to follow I-295 instead of passing through Langhorne Borough or designate other roadways as truck routes?
Changes to designation of PA 413 is 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.
Can PennDOT restrict truck traffic along PA 413 within Langhorne Borough?
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).
How will the project address safety within the project corridor?
- 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.
- Lastly, 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.
Are the bridge overpasses throughout the corridor high enough to provide adequate vertical clearance for trucks underneath on U.S. 1?
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.
What is the benefit to connecting US 1 directly to PA 413 (Pine Street) via an interchange?
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.