Lower Makefield Flooded Roads Opened Ahead Of Schedule

LOWER MAKEFIELD TOWNSHIP, PA —Two roads damaged by flash flooding in the township reopened ahead of schedule, state officials said.

Sections of Taylorsville Road and Route 32 (River Road) were closed due to the July 15 flash flooding which claimed the lives of six people in nearby Upper Makefield Township.

In his visit to Upper Makefield Township to attend a press conference last month, Gov. Josh Shapiro vowed to provide as much assistance —as he did with the Route 95 collapse earlier this summer —to restore the roads for motorists as quickly as possible.

On Monday, state Sen. Steve Santasiero and state Rep. Perry Warren joined state Department of Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll for a tour of the roads in Lower and Upper Makefield Township and the work done to repair them.

"PennDOT engineers and the work crews have done an incredible job responding quickly to this emergency and making the necessary repairs to keep our roads safe," Santarsiero said.

Warren said that PennDOT District 6 officers and construction crew viewed the repairs to River Road, Route 532, and Taylorsville Road.

"Secretary Carroll has visited our communities three times since the floods and has expedited and ensured the high quality of the repairs," Warren said.

The roadways reopened following various cleanup and repair activities:

• Taylorsville Road between Mount Eyre Road and Woodside Road in Lower Makefield Township reopened following extensive roadway and bridge repair.
• Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) between Dolington Road and Wrightstown Road in Upper Makefield Township reopened following flood damage repair.
• Taylorsville Road between Mount Eyre Road and Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) in Upper Makefield Township reopened following cleanup and roadway repair.
• Route 32 (River Road) between Woodside Road and Taylorsville Road in Lower Makefield and Upper Makefield townships reopened following cleanup and roadway repair.

The state Department of Transportation said the reopenings took place less than three weeks after the significant flooding.

"Gov. Shapiro has made it clear that his Administration will cut through red tape and work as safely and efficiently as possible to get stuff done for Pennsylvanians," PennDOT said. "It is that same spirit that was demonstrated in the effort to successfully open Interstate 95 in just 12 days, and now the PennDOT’s team of expert engineers and work crews continue to work efficiently for people across Pennsylvania."

PennDOT said the Shapiro Administration continues to support communities impacted by recent flooding and has actively worked with local partners and first responders to keep people safe, provide critical resources, and help communities recover.

In just six months in office, the Shapiro Administration completed 74 bridge projects and improved nearly 1,200 miles of roadway. PennDOT will continue to take advantage of the opportunity to strengthen our Commonwealth’s infrastructure safely and efficiently, PennDOT said.