Politics & Government

Lansdale Wood-Vine Connector Could Be Drivable by Winter 2013

The PCTI project will give commuters a non-stop thoroughfare from Vine and Broad streets to Wood and Main streets, avoiding the railroad crossings. Susquehanna Avenue at Main Street would become right-turn only.

The Wood-Vine Connector project that will give commuters a non-stop thoroughfare from Vine and Broad streets to Main and Wood streets in Lansdale, avoiding both railroad crossings, should be drivable by the winter.
Reported by Lansdale Utilities Director Jake Ziegler at last week's Public Works Committee meeting, the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative project could see final paving in Spring 2014.
"The ultimate goal," he said, "is to have the road in drivable condition for winter."
In the plan, there would be no stop signs for drivers heading down Vine Street toward Wood Street. Stop signs would be placed for cross-street drivers.
A new stop sign will pop up at Susquehanna Avenue and Vine Street, at the corner with Fairmount Fire Co.
Susquehanna Avenue will remain one-way between Vine Street/Derstine Avenue and West Main Street. However, the traffic light at Susquehanna and Main will be moved to Wood and Main streets; Susquehanna will be right-turn only onto Main Street.
The parking lot at Derstine and Susquehanna avenues will be reconfigured as well—its entrance/exit onto Vine Street will be closer to the edge nearest Columbia Avenue, making it safer to navigate for a parking spot and access the alley.
Contractors will soon be shifting over to begin reconstruction work on the Lansdale Library parking lot, Ziegler said.
"We've seen a fair amount of progress out there," he said. "Today, blacktop is out there and the contractor has been installing curbs, doing storm sewer work and doing the drainage."
The contractor has the base course of the road completed, he said.
Lansdale Library will be receiving a new entranceway to Vine Street, Ziegler said.
One snag so far: a North Penn Water Authority pipe interferes with and crosses new pipes at Green and Vine streets.
"There will be some work done by North Penn Water Authority to move the line," Ziegler said.
He said public works will have to look at the condition of Vine Street at present.
"Because of all the utility cuts, the original contract calls for basically a mill and overlay," Ziegler said. "I'm of the opinion that we're going to need to do more than that. We're going to have to do some significant basework out there to get that into the shape that we're going to need permanently."
Ziegler said the contractor would be drafting a proposal to be brought to the borough.
"It's one we're going to bring back here to get your approval," Ziegler said.
Committee Chairman Steve Malagari said everything looks good from the library's end.
"The project has been going very smoothly," said Malagari, who sits on the Lansdale Library Committee.


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