​PennDOT Reopens Northbound U.S. 222 to Two Lanes near Ephrata, Lancaster County

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) today announced that at 4:30 PM, its contractor reopened northbound U.S. 222 to two lanes between Pleasant Valley Road in West Earl Township and Glenwood Drive in Ephrata Township, Lancaster County. Northbound traffic had been restricted to a single lane since August 17.

U.S. 222 northbound averages more than 25,500 vehicles traveled daily. To avoid delays, travelers should allow for additional time in their plans or seek an alternate route.

This work is part of a $5,088,332 contract being conducted by Kinsley Construction Co. of the City of York, York County, to rehabilitate four U.S. 222 mainline bridges and five overhead bridges. Bridge work this year focused on painting the East Mohler Church Road bridge over U.S. 222 and the rehab of the four mainline U.S. 222 southbound and northbound bridges over Glenwood Drive in Ephrata Township and Pleasant Valley Road in West Earl Township.

U.S. 222 mainline bridge work included concrete bridge deck and beam repairs, expansion joint replacement, and a latex-modified concrete overlay. Bridge crews conducted full-depth bridge deck repairs, removed and replaced 5’x20’x1’ sections of concrete, and replaced each bridge joint for half of the width of the bridge. This work could not be conducted within the timeframe of an overnight lane closure and then have the lane available to carry traffic the following morning. Staged construction lengthened the amount of time it took to conduct this work. However, it allows a single-lane of travel to be opened to traffic. Otherwise these bridges would need to be closed and the road detoured for this type of work.

Similar work was completed last year on the East Mohler Church Road bridge over U.S. 222 as well as concrete bridge deck and beam repairs, and minor drainage work on the Miley Road, Pool Road, and Peach Road bridges over U.S. 222 in West Earl Township, and the Kramer Mill Road bridge over U.S. 222 in East Cocalico Township.