Every once in a while PlanPhilly tracks down all of the entities leading transportation construction projects around the city. Since summer is an especially busy time for that work, we decided now is an appropriate time to catch up with SEPTA, the Philadelphia Streets Department, PennDOT’s I-95 work, Amtrak, the Delaware River Port Authority and two unique projects: the Schuylkill River Boardwalk and the Dilworth Plaza renovation. Here is where each of those entities or projects stand.

SEPTA

West Trenton Line Track Separation – The West Trenton Line track separation is perhaps the largest construction project SEPTA is working on at the moment. There SEPTA is restoring a third track from Woodburne to West Trenton stations so that SEPTA and CSX do not have to operate on the same tracks. If SEPTA were to share the 3 3/4 miles of track with CSX, SEPTA would have to comply with both the federally mandated passenger train safety system (Positive Train Control) and the freight equivalent. Doing so would be prohibitively expensive. Already the West Trenton Line Separation will cost a total of about $38 million with $10 million coming from a federal TIGER grant.

The construction should have minimal impact on commuters.

Wayne Junction Station – SEPTA is still working on the Wayne Junction Station renovations. That work includes a station rebuild and ADA accessibility upgrade. The project will likely wrap up in the early part of next year.

“We’re a little behind schedule, but it’s an old station,” said Bob Lund, SEPTA’s assistant general manager of the Engineering, Maintenance and Construction Division. “There’s been a lot of unknowns every time we open things up.”

Lund said crews have run into greater deterioration than expected and unearthed foundations where they did not expect to.

Race Vine Station Elevators – Elevators are being installed at the Race Vine Station and will be completed towards the end of this year.

Trolley Tunnel Blitz – SEPTA will shut down the Center City trolley tunnel for the first two weeks of August. Lund said that will allow for a “blitz” of work to the power system, tracks and stations. This work will be funded predominantly by Act 89.

23rd and Venango Bus Loop – Crews are expected to start construction on the 23rd and Venango Bus Loop within the week. That $1.4 million project includes new bus boarding islands, passenger shelters, enhanced lighting, trash cans, recycling bins, improved signage and bicycle racks. The entire site will be made ADA accessible. Construction should take about 10 months, and bus stops will be temporarily relocated to the adjacent streets.

Norristown High Speed Line – The temporary repairs on the NHSL are complete, but SEPTA will be doing track work on the remaining NHSL right-of-way each summer over the next couple years. This summer, customers will see some service impacts, but SEPTA will not have to bus passengers around any of the construction.

Media Elwyn Line – This fall SEPTA will begin repairing the two viaducts (Darby and Cobbs Creek) on the Media Elwyn Line. Like they did with the Norristown High Speed Line (NHSL), SEPTA will replace the bridge timbers on these viaducts and do some structural repairs. During this construction, there will be some weekend busing.

This $3.7 million project is just phase one of a much larger project to completely rehab and paint those structures as well as the Ridley Creek Viaduct. That work will likely go to bid in the late fall or early summer.

Stone Arch Bridges – There are nine stone arch bridges in SEPTA’s dated infrastructure inventory. The oldest couple date back to the 1830s, and all need to be repaired. The work has been divided into three bid packages. Two will go out to bid in the next couple weeks, and one will go to bid later this summer. After a project is bid, it usually takes about three to four months for construction to begin.

“A lot of this goes to strengthening our core infrastructure, and it addresses the issues we raised in our realignment plan,” Lund said.

Act 89 Contracts – SEPTA has awarded seven Act 89-funded contracts totaling about $3.5 million to date. Another 13 contracts worth $45 million are under review, and four contracts totaling $20 million are out to bid. By the end of the year, SEPTA expects at least 20 construction contracts to hit the streets totaling about $150 million.

These Act 89-funded projects range from roofing to substation projects, bridge work and fire suppression systems. The seven contracts issued to date include a boiler replacement, roofing at SEPTA’s Fern Rock facility and substation projects.

“[Customers] won’t see them directly, but they go a long way to improving our reliability,” Lund said.

Levittown Station – One of the bids SEPTA plans to issue this summer is for a Levittown Station upgrade. That project will make Levittown Station ADA accessible and increase parking there.

“When that project is [complete], it will be a better option or another improved option for commuters on I-95,” Lund said.