PennDOT to Expand I-476 Ramp Meter Hours in Delaware County to Improve Travel and Safety

PennDOT to Expand I-476 Ramp Meter Hours in Delaware County to Improve
Travel and Safety

6/6/2018-KING OF PRUSSIA

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced today
that
ramp meter hours will be extended on all seven entrance ramps to northbound
and
southbound Interstate 476 between the Route 3 (West Chester Pike) and
MacDade
Boulevard interchanges in Delaware County to enhance travel and safety
along
this eight-mile corridor.

"Ramp metering is one of the proven Active Traffic Management strategies
for
speed harmonization along the highway," PennDOT District 6 Executive
Kenneth M.
McClain said. Because of increased demand to travel this interstate, we are

extending the ramp meter hours to achieve more consistent travel speeds on
mainline I-476 and lessen the potential for crashes at these entrance
ramps."

Beginning Monday, June 18, ramp meter hours at the following seven ramps
will
be operational weekdays from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM and weekends from 10:00 AM
to
7:00 PM:
• Route 3 East (West Chester Pike) ramp to I-476 South in Marple Township;
• Route 3 West (West Chester Pike) ramp to I-476 South in Marple Township;
• U.S. 1 ramp to I-476 South in Marple Township;
• U.S. 1 ramp to I-476 North in Marple Township;
• Baltimore Pike ramp to I-476 North in Nether Providence Township;
• Baltimore Pike ramp to I-476 South in Nether Providence Township; and
• MacDade Boulevard ramp to I-476 North in Ridley Township.

The ramp meters currently operate on weekdays from 6:30 AM to 9:00 AM and
from
3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Ramp meters have been operational at three of the four
interchanges since 1999. The rest of the ramp meters were brought online
in
2010.

I-476 carries an average of 100,365 vehicles per day between the Route 3
(West
Chester Pike) and MacDade Boulevard interchanges.

A ramp meter works much like a traffic signal. When the light is red,
driver
must stop and when the light turns green, driver should go. But unlike
traffic
signals, only one car or truck per lane is allowed to enter I-476 on a
green
light.

The metering rate for the red and green light at each entrance ramp is
based on
I-476's traffic capacity and the number of vehicles on the ramp. Motorists
can
expect the ramp meter to shine green for two to four seconds and red for
two to
six seconds. A yellow warning light will flash on each entrance ramp to
alert
motorists when ramp meters are operating.

PennDOT advises motorists to remember the following tips when approaching a

metered ramp:

• Wait your turn in line;
• Drive slowly up to the stop line marked on the ramp;
• Stop when the signal is red;
• Wait for the signal to turn green; and
• Proceed onto I-476 and merge safely into traffic.

Motorists are reminded that disregarding a ramp meter is a punishable
offense
and carries the same penalties as running a red light.

For more information on projects occurring or being bid this year, those
made
possible by or accelerated by Act 89, or those on the department's Four and

Twelve Year Plans, visit www.projects.penndot.gov.

A list of weekly road restrictions and PennDOT maintenance operations in
the
five-county Philadelphia region is available by visiting the District 6
Traffic
Bulletin at www.penndot.gov/District6.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by
visiting
www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides
traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and
access
to more than 860 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and
Android
devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts
accessible
on the 511PA website.

For more PennDOT information, visit www.penndot.gov. Follow local PennDOT
information on Twitter at www.twitter.com/511PAPhilly, and follow the
department on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/pennsylvaniadepartmentoftransportation and Instagram at
www.instagram.com/pennsylvaniadot.

To view a complete list of District 6 News Releases: Click
http://www.penndot.gov/RegionalOffices/district-6/Pages/allnews.aspx

To unsubscribe click
http://www.dot.state.pa.us/penndot/districts/district6/d6media.nsf/unsubscribeform?OpenForm