Two Major Transportation Projects In Middletown Finish

Two major road projects – West Maple Avenue Bridge and South Flowers Mill Road – in Middletown reopened Wednesday.

The West Maple Avenue Bridge, which goes over the Neshaminy Creek and connects Middletown and Lower Southampton, has been closed since its reconstruction project began in July 2014, and South Flowers Mill Road has been closed to traffic since September.

The roughly $7.2 million West Maple Avenue Bridge project involved closing the road between Bridgetown Pike in Lower Southampton and Old Lincoln Highway in Middletown. Crews completely rebuilt the previous aging structure to be slightly wider and with a small shoulder that lacks sidewalks. The span also features an arch-style design similar to the previous structure but it takes advantage of new construction techniques that requires less annual maintenance. A roundabout intersection that leads to the bridge was completed in July in Lower Southampton.

“The roundabout will improve traffic flow because it eliminates the signalized intersection and the extremely tight left turn move from Bridgetown Pike to Route 213 (Maple Avenue) and the new bridge will provide a direct link to the business districts in Lower Bucks County,” PennDOT District 6 Executive Kenneth McClain said.

On South Flowers Mill Road, contractors have been working since mid-September to completely rebuild the roadway. Crews also worked to reduce one of the steep hills, add new shoulders, updated drainage and build retaining walls. The work was completed as part of a $5 million road project approved by the Middletown Board of Supervisors.

While the West Maple Avenue Bridge project finished a few weeks early, the South Flowers Mill Road work opened more than a month later than originally expected.