The piecemeal widening of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension is about to hit Quakertown and the Lehigh Valley, according to The Morning Call.
Plans for the widening – which is a way’s away from construction – are being shown to the public and the 12-mile stretch from Quakertown to Lehigh Valley is the final part of the expansion, per the report.
PennDOT’s plan is to make that portion wider, from four to six lanes. This would make it consistent with all the roadways before it, beginning in Plymouth Meeting.
“There’s four sections left,” PTC Assistant Chief Engineer Kevin W. Scheurich told the newspaper.
Before widening can begin, a final design and environmental studies must be completed and approved. Permits must be secured, and there is work to be done on-site, as far as geographical surveys and the like.
In the end, the new widened highway would have three 12-foot driving lanes on each side, with 12-foot shoulders and a 26-foot-wide median.
At present, the Northeast Extension has two 12-foot driving lanes, 10-foot shoulders, and a 4-foot-wide median.
