Five years and $300 M U.S. 202 widening project finally done in Chester County
Chester County and state officials celebrate the newly-widened U.S. Route 202 with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. (Rob Zawatski)
Commuters rejoice. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation joined local officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Chester County Friday to celebrate the widening of U.S. 202.
The event marked the culmination of a five-year construction project that rebuilt and widened 6.5-miles of U.S. 202 from four lanes to six lanes from Route 252 to U.S. 30 in East Whiteland and Tredyffrin townships.
East Whiteland Township Supervisor, Sue Drummond said the new stretch of highway would improve the overall quality of life for residents and commuters. “Good transportation infrastructure is essential to the attractiveness and the value of our community,” said Drummond. “The new and improved 202 is a great asset to East Whiteland and the whole region.”
Chester County is considered a hub for the biopharmaceutical industry and is home to one of the nation’s leading companies in the financial sector. State Sen. Andy Dinniman, Democrat, hopes that the completion of the $300 million project will bring even more new business to the region.
“The easier the transportation — we will find it far more effective in attracting new companies to our region, and helping the companies already here grow and encouraging startup companies,” Dinniman said.
Construction on this project began in April 2011, but may have felt much longer to the more than 70,000 motorists that drive along this part of U.S 202 each day. U.S. Rep. Ryan Costello, Republican, said now that the project is finished people will get to reap its benefits first hand.
“Taking Route 202 and expanding into three lanes in each directions means that were going to get from Point A to Point B a lot quicker,” said Costello.
According to PennDOT, road crews will continue to work for the next few weeks to complete miscellaneous construction activities and clean-up operations. The work will result in periodic lane closures on U.S. 202 between Route 29 and U.S. 30. It will take place at night to lessen the impact on drivers.
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