How PennDOT plans to ease congestion on Blue Route in Delco

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (CBS) -- A new multi-year PennDOT project is in the works to help ease congestion along the Blue Route in Delaware County, Pennsylvania.

"We're taking the existing footprint and taking what we can to create additional lanes for travelers to bring in and out when the demand is there," said Brad Rudolph, a spokesperson for PennDOT.

Some of the work is already underway in Phase 1 of the 14-mile, multi-year plan spanning from West Chester Pike to Interstate 95. Right now, variable speed limit and queue detection warning signs are being added.

"That allows us to post speed limits based on conditions, crashes, incidents ahead. It gives motorists some extra information and reduces rear-end collisions by a lot, sometimes as much as 30%," Rudolph said.

Phase 2, which is scheduled to start in 2027, will include the addition of a flex lane that will change direction based on traffic needs and use space available in the current medians.

"The footprint of 476 is not really going to change," Rudolph said. "We're not changing the right away. We're not taking land. We're just taking what's there right now.

Rudolph said the extra space will make a big difference

"Well there are two in each direction now, so adding one in each direction is 50%. You're adding that much capacity with 70-80,000 vehicles," Rudolph said.

Phase 2 is currently in preliminary engineering and is expected to take three years, with most of the work coming in off-peak and overnight hours. For drivers, relief can't come soon enough.

"I think it would help with the flow of traffic, definitely," said Colum Mcgovern, who drives on the Blue Route. "It's terrible now so anything to improve it now would be great, honestly."