With constant congestion and heavy traffic due to many nearby attractions, US Route 22, Section 400 needed reconstruction. Preliminary design for the US Route 22, Section 400 Improvement Project involved reconstructing an approximate 2.0-mile section of US Route 22 from 15th Street to 5th Street in Whitehall Township, PA.
The scope was limited to safety improvements at the MacArthur Road interchange. The project involved reconstructing the existing MacArthur Road Interchange as a Partial Cloverleaf Interchange and reconfiguring ramp access to reduce the number of conflict points by removing the close merge/diverge movements on US Route 22 under MacArthur Road. The loop ramp acceleration lanes on US Route 22 were extended to encourage safer merging patterns and improve overall traffic flow of the interchange.
Also included in the project was replacement of the existing overpass carrying MacArthur Road over US Route 22 to improve the vertical clearance deficiency. Appropriate signing for the new interchange was installed and safety appurtenances within the limits of reconstruction were replaced as needed.
Benesch prepared conceptual (preliminary) plans, specifications and a cost estimate for a design/build letting by PennDOT District 5-0. Benesch had also provided design review services and consultation during construction of the improved interchange.