PHILADELPHIA – Construction will begin Thursday, March 27, to replace the damaged 15-foot high, steel-reinforced column under I-95 near the Richmond Street underpass in the city’s Port Richmond section.
Crews will work under I-95 during the next six weeks to remove the cracked center column and replace it with a new steel-reinforced concrete support. This work will not disrupt traffic flow on I-95.
During the operation, the center portion of I-95 in this area is temporarily supported by four steel support towers and steel beams, which will be removed once the new column is built.
PennDOT estimates the cost to replace the concrete column and build the temporary support towers to be $650,000.
A three-mile long section of I-95 was shut down to traffic for three days after the discovery of a large crack in the column that supports the center portion of I-95 near Richmond Street.
-- JOHN M. ROMAN

“On the way to Cape May,” won’t be a cheerful song if you’re using the Commodore Barry Bridge starting in May. That’s when a seven-month long, nearly $8 million project begins to replace deck joints which will close two of its five lanes.
An inspection of the bridge recommended replacing 74 existing compression seal joints with new strip seal joints on the bridge approach structure, according to the Delaware River Port Authority.
“This project needs to be completed in a timely manner so PennDOT can build new ramps connecting the Commodore Barry Bridge with the Chester, Pa., waterfront,” said DRPA Chief Engineer William Brooks.
“This is part of an overall maintenance program designed to keep all our bridges in top condition,” said DRPA Chief Executive Officer John J. Matheussen. DRPA also owns/operates the Benjamin Franklin, Walt Whitman and Betsy Ross bridges which span the Delaware River.
Drivers will be updated regularly on construction progress, said DRPA spokesman Ed Kasuba.
Further details on the project such as the hours of construction and which lanes will be closed are pending later on, he said Thursday. The lane closings will be dependent on the traffic flow.
“Every effort will be made to accommodate shorebound and homebound commuters,” Kasuba said.
The average daily traffic count for the bridge is about 44,000 vehicles, he said.
The contract was awarded to Road-Con Inc. of West Chester.
In November 2005, the bridge was scheduled for $1 million worth of security upgrades as part of the federal Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act, which President Bush signed into law earlier that year.
DRPA officials said they were unable to specify what improvements would be made to the bridge to secure the structure.
Construction on the Barry Bridge, which connects Chester and Bridgeport, N.J., began April 14, 1969. It was opened to traffic Feb. 1, 1974.
The bridge is 13,912 feet long and is 76 feet, 10 inches wide. Its travel width curb to curb is 60 feet. The span’s structural steel weight is 49,000 tons. Its navigable channel width is 800 feet, with a channel depth of 40 feet.

There's a ubiquitous five-letter word on the region's highways and byways I've concluded most drivers don't know the meaning of -- Y-I-E-L-D!
Two dictionaries in my newsroom desk I checked define the word as "GIVE WAY TO, TO CONCEDE OR GRANT, TO SURRENDER VOLUNTARILY ONE RIGHT, PRIVILEGE, ETC."
Case in point: I was coming back on the U.S. Route 1/Media Bypass from an assignment last week in Lima and exiting on to the Blue Routh South (I-476) ramp at the proper speed.
Suddenly a driver entering the bypass -- who had a YIELD sign -- seemed to accelerate as he/she pulled up nearly parallel to me, instead of yielding, hardly giving me any space to turn into the exit.
To whoever you are, "YIELD" means just that -- not a sign to put your gas pedal to the floor!
I JUST DON'T GET IT:
Why is northbound traffic on the Blue Route (I-476) getting off at West Chester Pike (Route 3), Exit 9, in Marple allowed to make a right turn on red?
It is very dangerous with through traffic speeding eastbound on the pike from New Ardmore Avenue, PennDOT honchos.
But yet traffic on Glen Gary Drive in the Westgate Hills section of Haverford -- a few blocks further east on the pike -- cannot make a right turn on red when it's clear. Who makes these decisions that make local residents waste gas while idling? You ever hear about the major package-delivery firm that has a policy of encouraging its drivers to make right turns when possible to avoid waiting for left turns?
Speaking of New Ardmore Avenue in Marple at Route 3, what's with Marple Township officials not doing anything yet with that awful eyesore of a burned-out building at that intersection? It should have been demolished a long time ago. It really makes for a scenic welcome to Marple.
But I have to admit the car-wrecking monster machine on one side of the Platt Bridge (Route 291) into Philadelphia ranks the highest for a welcome-to-our town landmark, don't you think?
Don't get me started...

For March 2--------ROAD WATCH
Our good neighbor to the south and east, New Jersey, starting Saturday joined the ranks of a handful of other states that have banned yakking on hand-held cell phones while driving.
Of course, Pennsylvania isn’t on that list yet which includes New York, Connecticut, Washington, California and Utah that have had the guts to target this growing problem.
To top it off, New Jersey is cracking down on talking on a phone without a hands-free device by making it a primary offense – meaning you can be initially stopped for just doing that. It also applies to text-messaging or using other electronic devices.
A weaker cell phone ban in the state in effect since 2004 made driving/talking a secondary offense, so motorists could be ticketed for the latter only if they were stopped for another motor vehicle violation. The previous law apparently didn’t produce enough results.
“Hang Up and Drive” is the slogan New Jersey is promoting.
The Delaware River Port Authority – which owns/operates four bridges including the Commodore Barry -- is also reminding motorists about the new law with variable message signs stating, “Starting March 1 in N.J. Drive and Chat = Ticket” placed at the entrance of the Barry, Ben Franklin, Walt Whitman and Betsy Ross bridges until March 7.
“This is a really important traffic safety issue,” said DRPA Lt. Brian Kelly. He said that he hoped that sending this message “…we will help reduce cell phone usage by motorists, which in turn may decrease the number of accidents.”
For years, I’ve been honking my horn in this column about the proliferation of one-handed motorists yakking incessantly on their cell phones.
I believe cell phones are a major distraction from safe and attentive driving despite a study by the AAA Foundation for Safety/Education which found that using a cell phone while driving is no more distracting than tuning a car radio or changing a CD.
I agree 100 percent with a spokesman for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents who said you actually get sucked into the phone conversation and its starts to take precedence over the driving task.
Although cell-phone yakker-drivers are one of my biggest peeves, I must admit I have had mixed feelings about making DUIC – driving while under the influence of conversation -- a primary traffic offense.
Let’s face it: our cops and state troopers already have their hands full with catching speeders, drunken drivers, red-light/stop-sign violators and those with expired inspection stickers and registration tags – not to mention car thieves and fleeing criminals.
But then again, putting more teeth into the law may actually help motorists to concentrate on driving – not the person on the other end of the phone.
In Pennsylvania, some of the arguments against such a ban have cited individual freedom and restricting business enterprise.
Rep. Joseph Markosek, D-Allegheny County, chairman of the state House Transportation Committee, said his committee has scheduled a hearing next week in Pittsburgh on several bills intended to reduce distractions while driving, including hand-held cell phones.
State Rep. Josh Shapiro, D-Montgomery County, introduced a bill last fall that would prohibit using a hand-held cell phone while driving.
PennDOT reported that the latter practice was a dangerous distraction which contributed to 1,241 crashes in 2006 on state roadways. This compared to 60 crashes the same year on state roads attributed to hands-free cell phones.
“We will save lives on our roadways by simply disconnecting distracted drivers from their hand-held cell phones,” Shapiro said then.
Several Delaware County legislators have been saying the same thing for years to no avail to the honchos in Harrisburg.
I-76 BRIDGES
Construction will start March 10 on a 19-month, $24 million project to rehabilitate and repair two bridges that carry over a half-mile of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) over the Schuylkill River, Grays Ferry Avenue and 34th Street in Philadelphia.
Construction is scheduled to finish in October 2009.
This rehab of the nine-span, steel-beam bridge carrying I-76 over the Schuylkill River and CSX railroad tracks and the 16-span bridge over Grays Ferry Avenue and 34th Street consists of structural steel repair and painting; bridge wall replacement, and bridge deck repair and resurfacing.
Motorists on the expressway are advised to allow additional time to travel on this portion of the expressway because lane widths on the bridges will be reduced from 12 feet to 11 feet, and lane closures will occur during overnight hours and selected weekends for construction activities.
BRIDGE REHAB
Construction began Feb. 19 on a 10-month, $15.9 million project to rehabilitate and re-anchor protective barriers on 19 bridges along I-95 and the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) in Philadelphia, PennDOT reports.
No lanes will be restricted. However, motorists are advised to allow additional time to travel on I-95 because backups may occur. The work schedule is weather dependent.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
PHILADELPHIA
Lane restrictions are scheduled on several state roads in Philadelphia this week for bridge inspections.
Wednesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – the southbound right lane on Route 1 (Roosevelt Boulevard Extension) will be closed on the bridge over the Schuylkill River, Kelly Drive and West River Drive.
Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. – one lane will be closed on the Spring Garden Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River and West River Drive.
Saturday – the left lane on the Chestnut Street Bridge over the Schuylkill River will be closed 8-11 a.m.; the right lane will be closed 11 a.m.-2 p.m.
TRAFFIC DELAYS
Middletown – U.S. Route 1, PECO Energy Co. removal of overhead power line, one 15-minute stoppage between War Admiral Lane and Route 352,10-10:15 a.m. Monday.
Also, North Baltimore Pike (Route 1) – patching between Pennell Road and Granite Farm Estates 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Upper Chichester – Chichester Avenue ramp to I-95 North, patching between Llewellyn and Ivy Mills roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
I-476 North/South – Ridley Township, Springfield, Marple and Radnor, litter removal between I-95 and U.S. Route 30, 12-4 a.m. weekdays.
I-95 North/South – Ridley Township, Tinicum and Chester township, litter removal between the Philadelphia county line and Delaware state line 12-4 a.m. weekdays.
Haverford – Ardmore Avenue, bridge wall repairs between Golf View Road and Haverford Road 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Chester – Engle Street, DELCORA utility installation between 12th and 13th streets, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
Chester Township – Concord Road, utility installation between Commerce Drive and McDonald Boulevard 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays until June 4. Work began Feb. 19.
Springfield – West Springfield Road, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation between North State and North Britton roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. Work began Feb. 11 and will continue until April 18.
"Road Watch" appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.