$116 Million Second Phase Of Route 1 Reconstruction Finished

PennDOT and its contractors have announced the completion of the second major phase of the ongoing Route 1 reconstruction project.

The $116 million second phase, which began in March 2021, reconstructed and widened 1.5 miles of Route 1 between the Neshaminy and Penndel interchanges in Bensalem and Middletown townships.

The second phase is the third of four contracts executed by PennDOT to modernize and improve the highway corridor that goes through Lower Bucks County, connecting to Philadelphia and New Jersey.

Key improvements delivered by the second phase contract include:

• Construction of a third travel lane in each direction, extending from just north of the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bensalem Interchange to the Penndel/Business Route 1 Interchange.

• A comprehensive reconfiguration of the Neshaminy Interchange, which involved widening Rockhill Drive to add left and right turn lanes, rebuilding the ramps for southbound Route 1, and relocating the northbound off- and on-ramps to a new signalized intersection on Rockhill Drive.

• Improvements to the Penndel/Business Route 1 Interchange with upgrades to meet current design standards and the installation of longer acceleration and deceleration lanes for ramps.

• Replacement of the Route 1 bridges over Rockhill Drive, the Neshaminy Creek (with new separate northbound and southbound structures), and Business Route 1 and the CSX/SEPTA rail lines (also with new separate structures).

• Installation of new retaining walls and a sound barrier wall along a section of southbound Route 1, as well as upgrades to highway drainage, stormwater systems, and the installation of new sign structures, Dynamic Message Signs, traffic signals, and Intelligent Transportation Systems equipment.

JD Eckman, Inc., of Chester County, was the general contractor for the project.

According to PennDOT, the project was financed with 80 percent federal and 20 percent state funds.

The recently-completed phase comes after the completion of an earlier, separate project in 2014, which focused on the Route 1/Maple Avenue Interchange in Middletown Township.

The first official phase of the Route 1 reconstruction was finished in 2022.

The 2022-completed contract widened more than a mile of Route 1 between Old Lincoln Highway and the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Bensalem Interchange, which included reconstructing the Street Road Interchange and rebuilding bridges over Street Road and the Turnpike in Bensalem Township.

The entire multi-phase project is set to conclude with a third phase, which is currently undergoing an environmental review.

The third and final phase plans to improve a 2.7-mile stretch of Route 1, extending from north of the Penndel/Business Route 1 Interchange to north of the Corn Crib Lane overpass, in Middletown Township and Langhorne Manor and Langhorne boroughs.

The planned final phase has drawn public opposition from residents in Langhorne and Langhorne Manor boroughs.