Route 1 Traffic Shift Planned

October 28, 2024

The bridge project at the Penndel Interchange earlier this year.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

As part of the ongoing Route 1 reconstruction project, a traffic shift is planned to take place this week.

According to PennDOT, the traffic shift will cause impacts to traffic in Bensalem and Middletown townships.

Starting Monday, October 28, through Thursday, October 31, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. the following morning, a single lane pattern will be in place in both directions on Rockhill Drive between Old Lincoln Highway and Neshaminy Boulevard for drainage installation.

On Wednesday, October 30, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., a single lane pattern will be in place in both directions on Route 1 approaching the Penndel interchange to complete the traffic shift.

Work to prepare for the traffic shift that will move southbound Route 1 traffic from the northbound side of the highway onto the recently completed bridges over the SEPTA and CSX railway and Rockhill Drive at the Neshaminy Exit were completed last week.

The $116 million project to revamp Route 1 started several years ago and is expected to continue over the coming years.

In addition to bridge construction, Route 1 is being expanded to include a third lane in each direction and with ongoing pavement placements and drainage improvements between the bridges.

The second phase of PennDOT’s three-phase project is underway and aiming to improve four miles of Route 1.

The second phase phase is expected to wrap up in mid-2025, a year ahead of schedule, according to PennDOT officials.

The next phase, RC3, will focus on improvements from the Penndel/Business Route 1 Interchange north through the Pine Street (Route 413) overpass in Langhorne Borough, Langhorne Manor Borough, and Middletown Township.

The last phase is currently in final design stages without a set construction schedule, PennDOT said.

The last phase of the Route 1 project has faced some objections from residents and officials in nearby Langhorne Borough, particularly concerning impacts around Pine Street.

In 2014, PennDOT completed $14.8 million in improvements at the Route 1/Maple Avenue Interchange in Middletown Township as part of their broader initiative to modernize and enhance the Route 1 corridor in Bucks County.