King of Prussia, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today that construction will begin Thursday, October 12, on a $13.3 million project to replace the Boot Road bridge over Amtrak in East Caln Township, Chester County, to ensure a safe and efficient crossing for motorists.
Under this contract, PennDOT's contractor will remove and replace the 59-year-old, 193-foot three-span Boot Road bridge with a 105-foot single-span structure. The bridge width will remain the same at 38 feet and improvements will take place on the approach roads to the bridge. Construction also includes resurfacing, stormwater management, and guiderail installation.
In addition, the roadway profile will be raised slightly to provide additional clearance to Amtrak's facilities. The catenary system used to supply electricity to the railway system, which is currently attached to the bridge, will be re-profiled under the bridge.
To enhance traffic flow and safety, additional construction includes improvements at the adjacent Boot Road and Quarry Road Intersection. Work includes widening the roadway to incorporate left-turn lanes on three legs of the intersection, installing modernized traffic signals, and drainage improvements.
Beginning, Thursday, October 12, through Friday, October 20, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, a periodic weekday lane closure will take place on Boot Road between Quarry Road and Southwind Lane for grubbing and tree trimming operations.
Following the grubbing, eastbound Boot Road will be closed and detoured between Quarry Road and Southwind Lane beginning Monday, October 23, through mid-November.
During the eastbound closure, motorists are directed to use westbound U.S. 322 (Brandywine Avenue), Business U.S. 30 (Lancaster Avenue), and Quarry Road. Trucks traveling eastbound are directed to use the posted detour. Westbound Boot Road traffic will be maintained for the duration of the construction period.
The structure, currently listed at a 23-ton weight limit, carries approximately 11,954 vehicles per day.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through or near the work area because backups and delays may occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.
After eastbound Boot Road is reopened in mid-November, the roadway will remain open in both directions for approximately three months as work continues beneath the bridge. When stage two construction begins, eastbound Boot Road will be closed and detoured again for approximately 14 months.
H&K Group, Inc. of Skippack, Montgomery County, is the general contractor on this project, which is financed with 100 percent state funds.
As part of PennDOT's public outreach program, the department encourages the public to attend a live virtual public meeting on Wednesday, October 18, beginning at 6:00 PM by clicking on this meeting link prior to the start time. The department's construction team will deliver a short presentation to update citizens on the upcoming traffic impacts and answer questions through the Microsoft Teams Q&A feature.
For more information and resources, visit the Boot Road over Amtrak Bridge Replacement project webpage.
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 1,000 traffic cameras.
For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.
Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT's planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.
Subscribe to PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.
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Contact: Robyn Briggs, robbriggs@pa.gov
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