Nearly 70% of all traffic on the Pennsylvania Turnpike travel within the eastern one-third of the system, leading to congestion in the toll plazas during rush hour. Of the 16 interchanges where electronic tolling was implemented, the Valley Forge Interchange (Milepost 326) was on of the most congested, with traffic frequently backing up onto the main line roadway during rush hour.
This highway improvement program involved adding four new entrance lanes, islands and toll booths; converting two existing entrance islands into exit islands; and adding electronic toll collection equipment. STV provided a range of design services for this design-build project, including architecture and civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering. Other work included extending the existing structural steel canopy over the four new entrance lanes and over the westernmost exit lane, providing new concrete pavement for the entire plaza, installing 1,500 feet of concrete barrier, providing an air condition unit for the recording room and installing a new washdown system for the toll plaza.
STV accommodated increased roadway drainage created by the additional lanes by depressing the pavement adjacent to the new inlets to increase their capacities. The team’s electrical design included new electrical service, uninterruptible power supply, new duct bank, conduit routing for E-ZPass and other cables, canopy lighting, roadway lighting, lane control signal lights and electrical services to toll booths.
