PennDOT: Skippack Road Work On Hold for Now

that starting March 12, road work in connection to the could impact traffic.

It is Wednesday, March 14, and there has been no sign of construction.

Patch contacted PennDOT to check the project's status, and was told the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, which is overseeing this project and has awarded a contract to a consultant, is currently 'coordinating schedules' of several utilities. According to PennDOT spokesperson Charles Metzger, several utility comapanies that serve the area -- Verizon, Comcast, North Penn Water Authority and PECO -- would be impacted by construction. DGS is addressing that situation now, and construction will begin when the matter is handled.

Metzger said PennDOT would issue another press release when DGS sets another start date.

Skippack Township Manager Ted Locker said Wednesday afternoon that he doesn't expect work to be delayed for long, and people "will (probably) see something within the next week or two." Some of the utilities, such as Verizon, "aren't done yet," Locker said, and utility poles will also have to be moved before the project begins.

To clarify a couple weeks ago, Locker said that while the project is anticipated to wrap up in 2015, road work on Route 73 should not take that long.

I think in a month or two (from the start), people will see that most of the work is done, Locker said. He said there may be more work that takes place throughout the three-year period, but it will not tie up the road for that length of time.

Locker warned that there will be nighttime restrictions/work when the project begins, and noise will probably accompany that. However, "it's a state project on a state road, and the township's hands are tied," in that respect, he said.