U.S. 30 Sinkholes To Be Repaired With $2.9 Million Project

WEST WHITELAND, PA -- PennDOT will reinforce the earth under U.S. 30. as part of a $2.9 million project to repair sinkholes, they announced in a press release.

Construction will begin Tuesday night, May 31 on U.S. 30 in the median and parts of the eastbound and westbound inside travel lanes about 2,000 feet east of the Business U.S. 30 Interchange, and in the eastbound inside lane and median approximately 1,000 feet east of the bridge over Clover Mill Road, according to PennDOT.

Construction is expected to finish in October 2016.

Officials said that crews will repair the median area just east of the Business U.S. 30 Interchange by excavating 15 feet into the earth and replacing the soil above the bedrock with pervious concrete. Following this operation, the contractor will reconstruct and resurface the inside shoulders and parts of the inside travel lanes on U.S. 30. The work area is about 120 feet long and 50 feet wide.

Just east of Clover Mill Road, the contractor will drill over 250 holes into the eastbound lanes and median and pump grout 55 feet into the earth to fill underground voids, according to PennDOT.

An existing underground storm drain pipe also will be relocated. Upon completing the pressure grouting, crews will resurface the eastbound lanes and shoulders. The work area covers a distance of 300 feet.

Beginning next week, nighttime lane closures are scheduled on U.S. 30 between the Business U.S. 30 and Route 100 interchanges from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning for drainage and shoulder resurfacing operations.

Eastbound U.S. 30 will be reduced to one lane the nights of Tuesday, May 31, Thursday, June 2, and Friday, June 3. Westbound U.S. 30 will be restricted to one lane Wednesday night, June 1.

The following week, the contractor will work at night to shift U.S. 30’s two eastbound and westbound travel lanes to the right and away from the median from the Business U.S. 30 Interchange to just east of the bridge over Clover
Hill Road, PennDOT said.

Lane closures will occur Monday, June 6, to Friday, June 10, from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning. Eastbound U.S. 30 will be reduced to one lane the nights of Monday, June 6, Tuesday, June 7, Thursday, June 9, and Friday, June 10. Westbound U.S. 30 will be restricted to one lane the nights of Wednesday, June 8, Thursday, June 9, and Friday, June 10.

The contractor’s work schedule is dependent on the weather.

During this multi-stage project, PennDOT will keep two travel lanes open in each direction on U.S. 30, but motorists will encounter slight traffic pattern shifts and off-peak lane closures. The contractor may close travel lanes
weeknights from 7:00 PM to 5:00 AM the following morning, and on weekends.

PennDOT developed this improvement plan following the identification of sinkholes during the repair of an underground drainage pipe near the Clover Mill Road overpass in March 2015. Last summer, the department used ground-penetrating radar to survey areas beneath U.S. 30 where sinkhole activity was evident and to identify the location of underground voids. This information was used for the design of the project, officials said.

Road-Con, Inc. of West Chester, Chester County, is the general contractor on the project that is financed with 100 percent state funds.