The widening of a section of Route 202 in Chester County provides a reminder that even though road construction can cause some inconvenience and take several years, eventually projects are completed, and with very positive results.
The $63.3 million project widened Route 202 from four lanes to six between Route 401 and U.S. 30. Planning for the project dates back to the 1980s, but as it ends, motorists get a smoother, wider, safer road and less traffic congestion.
The passage of Act 89 sets the stage for more such projects as we move forward in the “Decade of Investment.” It is essential that we preserve as much of the increased revenue and see that it is used for the purpose for which it was intended.
Transportation Issue Update
- In the works for decades and under construction for four years, the Route 202 widening project in Chester County comes to a close, leaving a smoother, wider, safer, less congested highway.
- Another project that will bring significant benefits to the traveling public – the connection of I-95 with the Turnpike – headlines the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission’s four-year Transportation Improvement Program that was approved recently.
- Our friends at the PA Highway Information Association co-hosted a forum in Lancaster promoting the benefits of Act 89. Look for additional forums this fall.
- A team of Penn students think a connection between the state’s health plan for the poor and ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft will help address an important need among patients who have few other transportation options.
- With nearly 100 of its 119 bridges needing attention, a majority of Northampton County Council nevertheless said the county can do without the $1.4 million that a $5 vehicle registration surcharge would have generated.
- With its recent vote to consolidate its shared ride public transportation service into the Central Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (CPTA), Perry County became the latest county to pursue efficiencies while preserving service.
- Drivers on the Pennsylvania Turnpike will pay 6 percent higher tolls starting Jan. 8, 2017, the ninth straight annual increase, officials have announced.
- Turnpike officials, editorial writers and Auditor General Eugene DePasquale all agree that the increasing Turnpike debt – the result of a 2007 law requiring the Turnpike to provide $450 million per year to PennDOT projects – is unsustainable. Commissioners said they will review the pike’s $5.7 billion capital plan with an eye toward trimming it back to match available resources, and seek a law that will suspend the vehicle registrations of those who blow through E-Z Pass lanes without paying.