16665 | US 202, Markley Street Southbound (Section 500) (East Norriton Township & Norristown Borough, Montgomery County)

Funding in FY25 is specific for design activities for Section 540.
This project serves for the pre-construction phases of the Markley Street rehabilitation project for Section 500 of US 202 (SR 3020 and Norristown Borough Street); from approximately 700 feet south of Main Street (local street) to Johnson Highway (SR 3017) for a total length of approximately 8,500 linear feet; and on Johnson Highway (SR 3017) from Markley Street to Powell Street (local street) for a total length of approximately 2,200 feet. Between Main Street (local street) and Marshall Street (local street), Markley Street is a four-lane divided street with no parking permitted. Between Marshall Street and Johnson Highway (SR 3017), it is a two-lane street, with parking typically permitted on both sides. This parent project will incorporate all pre-construction phases (UTL and ROW) for MPMS# 80021 (Section 510) and 80022 (Section 520), 106068 (Section 530) and Section 540, which will be used for the respective construction contracts.
The project is the full structure replacement of the bridge that carries Airy Street over Markley Street (SR 3020), SEPTA railroad and Stony Creek in Norristown Municipality, Montgomery County. The existing bridge is a 5-span steel multi-beam bridge, approximately 530’ long. The bridge includes a pedestrian bridge that ramps down to Markley Street on the northeast side.
The Airy Street Bridge Replacement is Section 540 of SR 202 Section 500 Project. Airy Street is owned by Norristown Municipality and the bridge is owned by PennDOT (SR 3009). Airy Street is one-way westbound. It is classified as an Urban Minor Arterial with a posted speed of 25 mph and an ADT of approximately 6,400. It is anticipated that the new bridge will generally follow the horizontal and vertical alignment of the existing bridge.
The project also includes minor roadway approach work on Airy Street extending to the intersection with Astor Street on the west side of the bridge, and the intersection of Barbadoes Street on the west side of the bridge. Pedestrian access improvements will also be provided along Airy Street.
A full detour of Airy Street is anticipated during construction.
The scope also includes some operational improvements instead of strict road reconstruction by adding an extension of Barbadoes Street, in Norristown, between Lafayette Street and Washington Street to provide an eastern connection to Water Street and alleviate truck turning conflicts, for the Norristown Transfer Station, at the intersection of Water Street and Main Street. There is also an upgrade to the railroad grade crossings at Main Street and Marshall Street by installing new gates, signals and crossing surfaces and replacing existing traffic signals on Markley Street at the intersections of Main Street, Marshall Street and Elm Street.
In the DVRPC region, US 202 covers 61 miles, traversing 27 municipalities. It serves as a major commuter route and is a vital link for business and industry. For planning purposes, US 202 has been divided into seven major sections (100 through 700), and some of those sections have been broken down further to simplify construction management.
Project CMP (Congestion Management Process) commitments include strategies such as improvements for transit users, bicyclists, pedestrians, and drivers on the existing road network (operations). See DVRPC’s 2007 and 2011 annual memoranda on supplemental strategies for details related to this project.