Crews survey an excavated area of Plymouth Road as both lanes are closed due to a sinkhole. (Credit: Rachel Ravina / MediaNews Group)
Transportation officials ramp up closure amid sinkhole repairs.
Ongoing sinkhole repairs closed a stretch of Plymouth Road in both directions on Tuesday, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation.
The northbound lane of Plymouth Road had been closed between Butler Pike and Rittenhouse Square for more than a week, but transportation officials expanded the closure to both lanes early Tuesday morning “following more excavation activity in the southbound lanes.”
The right turning lane into an apartment complex has been inaccessible for the past three weeks, a move PennDOT Community Relations Coordinator Robyn Briggs said was required to monitor the area. PennDOT officials then extended the closure to the northbound lane on May 3.
Motorists should use Germantown Pike, along with Flourtown and Joshua roads as alternative routes. However, area residents and businesses will be permitted local access. It’s unclear how long the closure will last as a statement issued Tuesday that “Plymouth Road will remain closed as PennDOT’s contractor makes necessary repairs and safely reopens the highway.”
The same area was originally closed Feb. 2, as the roughly 15-by-15-foot sinkhole was originally cordoned off. The road was shut down for about a week before reopening to traffic.
Around 9,700 vehicles travel along the Plymouth Township road each day. The thoroughfare connects to major regional arteries such as Interstate 476 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
PennDOT officials urged motorists to pack their patience, “allow for extra time” and be mindful of crews while traveling through the area. Construction activities are also “weather dependent.”
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