The Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) near Center City Philadelphia (Credit: Wikipedia user camartin)
Looking to ease up the flow of traffic at the busiest times on certain parts of the Schuylkill Expressway, PennDOT is hoping to begin construction of a third, flexible travel lane in 2027.
PennDOT hosted a public meeting Wednesday night to explain that the plan calls for the construction of a third lane in key spots on the highway that would be controlled by PennDOT as far as when to activate it as available to ease traffic flow.
There are two key spots that the department is hoping will help curb delays that have crippled the highway for decades.
The first would be westbound along the Expressway between City Ave. and Belmont Ave.
The second would be in both directions between Route 202 and the interchange with the Blue Route (I-476), which spans from West Conshohocken out to near the King of Prussia Mall.
Proposed changes to the Schuylkill Expressway (Image from PennDOT)
According to PennDOT, the purpose of this project is to reduce congestion, decrease congestion-related crashes and increase travel time reliability along the corridor.
A flex lane would provide temporary capacity enhancements during peak demand and allow for dynamic lane management during emergency operations, weather events, and maintenance activities. The new third lane would serve as a shoulder during non-peak traffic hours.
For more information on the project, PennDOT has created a website on the transformation project.
