SEPTA $17-million recovery fund investment in Montgomery County

Written by jrood

SEPTA General Manager Joseph Casey, Pennsylvania State Senator Stewart Greenleaf, and Pennsylvania State Representative Kate Harper, joined with local government and community leaders at North Wales Regional Rail station to mark the start of extensive two-year federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act projects.

More than $17.4 million in
federal ARRA funds has been earmarked for the revitalization of 13 Montgomery
County SEPTA locations and facilities to include:

Lansdale (R5) Substation
roof replacement

Glenside Station
improvements – The existing station building and canopy will be replaced and
painted. A new outbound platform will be constructed complete with new signage,
lighting and additional passenger amenities.

Philmont (R3) Station
Rehabilitation – An ADA-accessible path between the inbound and outbound
platforms will be constructed. Repairs will be made to the exterior facades and
the inbound side will be enhanced to provide greater accessibility.

Bridge 13.04 – This span
extending over North Hills Avenue will receive concrete, wall, and
waterproofing repairs.

Bridge 18.87 – This span
extending over Penllyn Pike will receive concrete, wall, and waterproofing
repairs.

Bridge 20.25 – Crews will
work to replace the aging superstructure over Wissahickon Creek and perform
additional repairs.

Bridge 12.81 – Supporting
pedestals were recently repaired on this span over the Schuylkill River. Work
included ‘wrapping’ the base with a protective stone layering to help prevent
future erosion.

Bridge 8.38 – Repairs will
be made on the girders of the span near Melrose Park Station and new
waterproofing installed.

Gwynedd Cut Stabilization
Project – Storm water and erosion controls will be installed and rock /slope
stabilization work will be performed to improve safety and service efficiency.

Paoli/Thorndale (R5)
Signage Project – This will provide new standardized signage at 17 SEPTA
Regional Rail Stations including Merion, Narberth, Wynnwood, Haverford, Bryn
Mawr, and Rosemont in Montgomery County.

Norristown High Speed Line
Fiber Optic Cable Project – Fiber optic cable will be installed along the line
permitting the future installation of Audio Visual Public Address devices at
all passenger stations and improve power substation control.

Norristown Substation
Renewal Project – The work includes the overhaul of the Norristown Traction
Power Substations. New transformers, trolley breaker substation switchgear, and
protective relaying will be installed.

The ceremony also served as
the ground breaking for the nearly $700,000 North Wales Station Renovation
Project which will renew the existing 150 year-old station and original hub of
the old North Penn Railroad. Improvements include:

• Restoration of existing brickwork
and interior elements.

• New roof.

• Energy-efficient heating
and cooling systems.

• New energy efficient
lighting and windows.

Recently, SEPTA constructed
new passenger shelters, new signage, and high-level platforms with ramps at the
station.

Upon completion of the
construction in the summer of 2010, the station will be fully-compliant with
ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) requirements. During the construction the
station will remain open and there will be minimal impact to normal train
service.

It is estimated that over
300 area workers will be hired to help complete these 13 Montgomery County
projects. In total, 32 SEPTA federally funded ARRA projects are scheduled to
improve transportation in the area while invigorating the economy by creating
local jobs

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