Road Watch for Sept. 13
(National Child Passenger Safety Week, etc.)
Motorists are urged to have their child safety seats inspected for proper use/installation during National Child Passenger Safety Week.
Crash data show that even though a child may be restrained, the appropriate child safety seat must be used properly to ensure effectiveness, PennDOT said.
Since 2004, there have been 97 fatalities and 14,383 injuries to children up to age eight. About 46 percent of those injuries were cases where either a child safety seat was not used or the child was not restrained properly.
To keep children safe, PennDOT provides funding for about 160 child passenger safety seat fitting stations. More than 5,000 seats were checked at these stations last year.
In addition, PennDOT invested about $100,000 from fines for seat belt violations to buy child safety seats for its loaner program, which loans car seats to families in need.
Information on fitting stations and the loaner program is available by calling 1-800-CAR-BELT or visiting www.DriveSafePA.org.
Under the state’s primary child passenger safety law, children under the age of 4 must be properly restrained in an approved child safety seat anywhere in the vehicle.
In addition, children aged 4 up to 8 must be restrained in an appropriate booster seat.
Violating either of these laws can result in a $100 fine plus associated costs.
Once a child outgrows the booster seat, state law requires that children up to age 18 must be secured in a seat belt system anywhere in the vehicle. Violators of this law are subject to a $10 fine plus associated costs.
Rail Work
In Upper Darby and Lansdowne, SEPTA will close Burmont Road between Garrett Road and East Baltimore Avenue in Upper Darby and Lansdowne starting Sept. 19 for rail replacement, PennDOT reported. The 24-hour detour will be in place through September 28.
During the operation, Burmont Road will be detoured over Garrett Road, North Bishop Avenue and East Baltimore Avenue. Local access will be maintained up to the construction zone.
Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the area. There will be several posted pedestrian detours.
SEPTA will complete the work under a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.
I-95/Girard Point Bridge
PennDOT has announced the awarding of a $70 million contract for renovations to the I-95/Girard Point Bridge in Philadelphia, a project underwritten by federal stimulus funds.
PennDOT awarded a contract to the tri-venture of Buckley & Co. Inc. of Philadelphia, Alpha Painting & Construction Co. Inc. of Baltimore, Md., and Liberty Maintenance Inc. of Campbell, Ohio, for the rehabilitation and painting of the bridge over the Schuylkill River.
Construction is expected to start in late September to extend the life, aesthetics and ride quality of the 18-span steel truss bridge by performing various structural repairs and maintenance work. The project is scheduled to finish in the fall of 2012.
The contractor will work over the next three years to repair/strengthen structural steel members and paint the entire bridge, among other repairs, to reduce the susceptibility of corrosion from the elements and reduce periodic maintenance.
Schuylkill Expressway
Motorists will face overnight lane closures/slowdowns this week traveling on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) between I-676 and the University Avenue/Grays Ferry Avenue interchanges in Philadelphia for bridge construction.
Monday-Thursday from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m., I-76 East/West will be reduced to one lane at the interchanges for bridge construction.
Monday-Friday, 10 p.m.-5 a.m., I-76 West will be reduced to one lane between Chestnut Street and the I-676 Interchanges for repairs to the Schuylkill Avenue structure over the expressway.
Traffic Delays
I-95 North/South – Tinicum and Ridley Township, bridge repairs today through Thursday between Broad Street and Route 420, 9 p.m.-5 a.m.
Tinicum – Route 291, ADA ramp construction between First and Fifth avenues 7 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.
Also, Wanamaker Avenue, ADA ramp construction between Third and Fourth streets, 7 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.
Also, Second Street, ADA ramp construction at LaGrange Avenue 7 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays.
Thornbury – U.S. Route 202, PECO Energy Co. utility installation between Dilworthtown and Oakland roads 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.
Haverford – Haverford Road, Aqua utility installation at West Hathaway Lane 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Wednesday.
Holmes Road/Amosland Road – Ridley Township, Prospect Park and Norwood, Aqua utility installation between MacDade Boulevard and Chester Pike 9 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays through Oct. 2, detour posted.
Baltimore Avenue – Lansdowne, East Lansdowne, Upper Darby, Aqua Pennsylvania utility installation, closed/detoured between Church Lane and Lansdowne Avenue, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., detour posted weekdays through Nov. 30.
Chester — Flower Street, ramp construction with a new traffic pattern at Fourth and Second streets, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
Also, Norris Street, ramp construction with lane restrictions at Front Street and Delaware Avenue, 24-hour restriction through 2011. Work began Jan. 12.
“Road Watch” appears Sundays. Only messages and mail with phone numbers will be considered. E-mail: jroman@delcotimes.com.