Road Watch for April 13
Litterbugs Beware! The Great Pennsylvania Cleanup, a cooperative anti-littering effort between PennDOT and the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Community and Natural Resources kicks off Saturday.
The effort is an extension of PennDOT’s anti-littering programs. PennDOT began fighting litter more than 30 years ago with its Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful program and later with the Adopt-A-Highway program.
During the cleanup last year, volunteers removed over 372,096 bags of litter from state roads – enough to fill more than 372 trash trucks.
“Pennsylvania continues to have the largest anti-littering program in the nation with 43 percent of PennDOT’s 40,000 miles of roadways under adoption,” said PennDOT District Executive Lester Toaso.
The following are examples of how long certain litter take to decompose:
A plastic jug on the ground could collect Social Security after the 70 years it takes to break down.
Aluminum can take around 200 to 500 years to decompose, which is between two and six times the life span of an average American.
A glass bottle could take as much as one million years to decompose.
A side note: I’m fed up with people who toss all those grocery and supermarket plastic bags all over the county’s roads and lots. That’s why my wife and I have purchased reusable cloth material grocery bags. And they’re a lot more strong and durable than those flimsy plastic bags and brown paper bags. Go GREEN! And I don’t mean Eagles-wise.
For info on the cleanup effort and to register visit DEP’s Web site at www.dep.state.pa.us and click on the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup logo, or call toll-free at 1-888-548-8372.
The site also contains safety information, links to other cleanup groups, a downloadable logo, T-shirt iron-on transfers and posters, and lesson plans for teachers.
Citizens or groups that want to participate in the roadside cleanups are encouraged to call PennDOT’s local county coordinator or visit the Web site.
In Delaware County, the coordinators for the litter removal program are Sheila Cartwright and Harry Seth, who can be reached at 610-566-0972.
SEPTA’s 46th Station
SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line El trains will return to 46th Street Station Monday as a new modern station there opens for passenger service.
El service to 46th Street Station was discontinued in June 2007 to allow rebuilding of the station as part of the Market Street Elevated reconstruction project.
It will offer improved access to trains and greater overall convenience for the 3,700 passengers who use it each weekday.
The opening marks the debut of the fourth of six new stations designed under MSE. The El first began operations in 1907 and is undergoing major reconstruction.
SEPTA bus Routes 31 and 64, rerouted to accommodate passengers during the closure of 46th Street Station, will return to regular detour routing with the opening of the station.
Also, shuttle buses will operate this weekend in place of regular El service between the 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby and 40th and Market streets through 5 a.m. Monday. The shuttles began 8 p.m. Friday.
Camera Installation
Overnight travel restrictions will occur this week on I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway), U.S. Route 1 and Route 291 in Philadelphia and on I-76 in Montgomery County for the installation of closed-circuit camera poles and mast arms, PennDOT said.
Traffic Delays
Baltimore Pike – Springfield and Clifton Heights: resurfacing with lane restrictions between Route 420 (Woodland Avenue) and Burmont Road 8 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays by James J. Anderson Construction Co., a $6 million contract to repave 29 miles of state roads in the county beginning April 7.
Baltimore Pike --- Springfield and Clifton Heights: paving with restricted lanes between Route 420 and Burmont Road 7 p.m.-6 a.m. Wednesday-Friday.
Middletown – Glen Riddle Road: prep work with restricted lanes between Routes 352 and 452, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday-Friday.
U.S. Route 1 North/South – Chadds Ford: milling with lane restrictions between Brinton Lake Road and Delaware state line 7 p.m.-6 a.m. Friday.
Concord – U.S. Route 202 North/South: milling between Delaware state line and Smithbridge Road 7 p.m.-6 a.m. Wednesday-Friday.
Chester Township – Engle Street: DELCORA trench restoration between Tolston and 12th streets 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Also, Concord Road: utility installation between Commerce Drive and McDonald Boulevard 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through June 4.
Upper Darby – Market Street: Aqua utility installation between Powell Lane and Wellington Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
U.S. Route 202 South – Chadds Ford: patching between Dilworthtown Road and Baltimore Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
I-476 North/South (Blue Route) – Radnor, Haverford, Marple, Upper Providence: bridge cleaning in a moving operation between County Line Road and Baltimore Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
I-476/U.S. Route 1 North/South ramps – Marple: sign structure inspection with lane restrictions on ramps connecting I-476 and Route 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday.
I-95 North – Lower Chichester: sign structure inspection, two right lanes closed between Chichester Avenue and Route 452, noon-3 p.m. Monday.
I-95 South – Lower Chichester: sign structure inspection with two lanes closed between Route 452 and Naamans Road, 9 a.m.-noon, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday.
Also, I-95 South, two right lanes closed between Chichester Avenue and Naamans Road noon-3 p.m. Tuesday.
I-95 North – Lower Chichester: sign structure inspection, lanes closed between Route 452 and Naamans Road noon-3 p.m., and between Naamans Road and Chichester Avenue, 9 a.m.-noon, Monday and Thursday.
I-476 (Blue Route) – Ridley Township, Nether Providence, Springfield: sign structure inspection with lane closure between MacDade Boulevard and U.S. Route 1, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.