PA 309/Easton Road Exits Reopened

The Easton Road northbound and southbound exits on PA 309 have reopened. Construction in the area continues. This is the most direct route to LTSP from 309 - take the Easton Road exit and go west toward Philadelphia/Mt. Airy. Continue west as Easton Road turns into Wadsworth and then Gowen Avenue. Continue to the LTSP campus at Germantown Avenue (on your left).

Germantown Ave. Construction Update 9/28/07

The area adjacent to the LTSP campus remains fairly quiet, note that will change with work starting 10/4 with work at Gowen Ave. This coming week from PennDOT:

PARKING ON GERMANTOWN AVENUE: Restrictions on parking will be in place for a few more days, likely through Tuesday, October 2nd. Please note that PARKING RESTRICTIONS WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT SATURDAY, SUNDAY AND IN THE EVENINGS.

WORK PLANNED FOR WEEK OF OCTOBER 1ST: Crews will continue to remove old trolley poles and overhead wires, remove some deteriorated trees, and dig test holes to locate existing utility lines under the avenue. In addition, the work on the high pressure gas line will continue in the area of Mermaid Land and the railroad bridge over Germantown Avenue, including Saturday. There will be plates on the road to allow vehicles to cross. However, you can expect some short delays in that area.

In addition, a second gas main crew will begin work in that area next week. Please note that while this work is going on, pedestrian access will be on the west side of Germantown Avenue.

On or about October 4, an inspection will commence at Gowen Avenue and also at the bridge near Cresheim Valley Drive, lasting about a week. You can expect lane shifts in those areas when that work is underway.

WORK PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE: On or about October 15th, barriers will be set up in the area from Cresheim Valley Drive to McPherson Street, with one lane traffic in either direction. Prior to that, part of the roadway will be repaved to create a safer driving surface. Access to the Trolley Car Diner and New Covenant Campus will be maintained at all times.

Germantown Ave. Construction Update - 9/21/07

Here is the latest on the Germantown Avenue Reconstuction Project. It includes information provided by PennDOT as well as what we learned from a meeting with the engineers this morning.

PARKING ON GERMANTOWN AVENUE: As you noticed, there were "NO PARKING" signs posted on Germantown Avenue last week. Work was to begin on the Avenue, but there was a last minute snafu with obtaining permits and the crew had to wait until that got worked out. Thus, there was no work being done even though parking had been halted -- a source of frustration for many and anger for some. A few facts to put this matter into context:

• The police require that "NO PARKING" signs be posted at least 72 hours in advance of when the restrictions go into effect. So.... just because you see a "NO PARKING" sign, it does not mean that there is no parking as of the sign's posting. We have asked the engineers to be as specific as possible about the date/time restrictions when they put up the signs. They are also going door-to-door to inform business owners and residents of what is planned.
• There are no plans for weekend work. Thus, PARKING RESTRICTIONS WILL NOT BE IN EFFECT SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.

WORK PLANNED FOR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 24TH: Crews will be doing the work planned for last week, e.g., crews will work Monday through Friday (Sept. 24 -- 28) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to remove old trolley poles and overhead wires, remove some deteriorated trees, and dig test holes to locate existing utility lines under the avenue. In addition, a separate contractor will be removing trees which need to come down as part of the project -- these are the ones with the green "X" on them.

The contractor plans to start at the intersection of Mermaid Lane and proceed south. One travel lane will be maintained in each direction during construction, but motorists will encounter traffic pattern shifts. Parking will be restricted in areas where crews are working. We anticipate that when this "sweep" of the Avenue is complete, the parking restrictions will be much more limited.

In addition, Germantown Avenue between Mermaid Lane to Cresheim Valley Drive will begin to see more intensive work, as crews will be locating existing utility lines under the Avenue and beginning to install a new gas main. There will be plates on the road to allow vehicles to cross. However, you can expect some short delays in that area.