PennDOT to Remove 30-Ton Rock Next to Expressway This Week

The following information comes from PennDOT.

Eastbound Interstate 76 (Schuylkill Expressway) will be reduced to one lane just east of the Route 23 Interchange in Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, from 10 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 19) to 5 a.m. Friday (Sept. 20) for rock removal, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation said today.

The nighttime operation to remove a 30-ton rock from the hillside adjacent to the expressway is part of PennDOT’s $2.3 million project to enhance safety along eastbound I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) by stabilizing the rocky hillside.

Crews are currently removing loose rock in preparation for bolting the remaining rock in place as a preventative measure to keep rock from falling onto the expressway. In the event of rain, the operation will be rescheduled to the following night.

Buckley and Company, Inc. of Philadelphia is the general contractor on the $2,284,286 project that is financed with 100 percent state funds. Construction is scheduled to finish in November.

PennDOT reminds motorists they can log on to www.511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to check traffic conditions on I-76 and other major highways before heading out.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.dot.state.pa.us. Follow local PennDOT information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly.