U.S. 1 N To Single Lane, Turnpike Ramps Closed This Weekend

BENSALEM, PA — Driving in the area of U.S. 1 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Bensalem could be a mess this weekend.

A stretch of U.S. 1 North in Bensalem will be reduced to a single lane and ramps to and from the Pennsylvania Turnpike there will be closed, PennDOT has announced.

Announced Thursday, the closures will be for work on the construction of replacement ramps, PennDOT said. The closures, with a detour, will run from 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 28, through 5 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 30.

The lane closure will run from north of Old Lincoln Highway to the Neshaminy exit. During the northbound lane closure, the ramps to and from northbound U.S. 1 and Street Road will remain open, but backups are expected to happen on the ramps due to the lane restriction.

During the closure of the northbound U.S. 1 ramp to the turnpike, motorists will be detoured to the Neshaminy exit. They'll turn left on Rockhill Drive, right on the ramp to southbound U.S. 1, then right on the ramp to the turnpike toll plaza.

Drivers on the turnpike exiting at Bensalem and heading for northbound U.S. 1 will be detoured to the ramp to southbound U.S. 1, turn right onto the ramp to eastbound Street Road then turn left at the temporary traffic signal at the ramp to northbound U.S. 1.

PennDOT says the weekend restrictions will allow crews to finish construction of new, wider replacement ramps on the northbound side of U.S. 1. By Monday morning, the new ramps are expected to reopen just north of the existing ramps.

In addition to the weekend's closures, periodic nighttime lane restrictions are planned on U.S. 1 and Street Road in both directions from Sunday, Sept. 29, through Friday, Oct. 4. They'll be from 8 p.m.-6 a.m. at:

• U.S. 1 in both directions between Rockhill Drive and Old Lincoln Highway
• Street Road (Rt. 132) in both directions between Old Lincoln Highway and Kingston Way

Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work areas because backups and slowdowns will occur, PennDOT said.

The work is part of an improvement project to rebuild and widen U.S. 1, replace aging bridges and install safety enhancements along a four-mile section of the expressway from just north of Philadelphia to just north of Rt. 413 (Pine Street) in Middletown and Langhorne.