N E W S R E L E A S E Carl DeFebo Jr., Director of Public Relations and Marketing

Media Contact: Mimi Doyle Public Information Manager – East 610-239-4117

Pa. Turnpike Bridge Project to Impact Traffic on Interstate 476 in Lower Salford Township this Month Nighttime construction activities may cause delays between exits 31-44 through November.

The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission advises motorists who travel the Turnpike’s Northeastern Extension (I-476) between Lansdale (Exit #31) and Quakertown (Exit #44) that construction-related activities associated with a bridge replacement project at milepost A31.7 in Lower Salford Township, Montgomery County, are scheduled to begin the week of April 15.

A contract valued at $4.2 million was awarded to Allan A. Myers, LP of Worcester, Pa., to replace the Fretz Road Bridge earlier this year. The work area extends from approximately 1.7 miles north of the Lansdale Interchange (Exit #31) in Montgomery County. The contractor anticipates the bridge will open to traffic by mid to late November.

Locally, advance warning signs were posted this week alerting motorists that on April 26, Fretz Road will be closed and traffic detoured between Yoder Road and Wambold Road from May through November. Next week, detour signs will be posted along the planned route; passenger and commercial vehicles will be directed over Wambold Road, Main Street (State Route 63), Ruth Road, Clemens Road and Yoder Road to Fretz Road (approximately 2.8 miles). Local access on Fretz Road will be available to and from either direction to the bridge while the detour is in place.

The week of April 28, weather permitting, the contractor will begin installing advance warning signs and traffic- control devices, and placing temporary concrete barrier to establish a work zone on I-476 between milepost A30- A32. Motorists traveling northbound and southbound on the Turnpike should be prepared for slow-moving traffic and single-lane closures, Monday – Friday between 7 p.m. and 6 a.m. near the overhead bridge. Nighttime traffic restrictions and reduced speeds will be in effect through late November.

The Fretz Road Bridge project is the first of five overhead bridges to be replaced and lengthened to accommodate the Commission’s project, currently in preliminary design, to widen seven miles of the Northeastern Extension between Lansdale and Quakertown. Construction to replace the bridge that carries Ridge Road over I-476 (milepost A37.4) could begin late 2013-early 2014. The full-depth reconstruction and six-lane widening project traverses Lower Salford, Franconia and Salford townships in Montgomery County and is expected to begin construction when final design is complete in 2016. Project specific information and traffic updates, including passenger and commercial detour routes for bridge replacement projects, can be viewed at: www.paturnpike.com/constructionprojects/mpA31toA38.

Travel advisories will be posted at www.paturnpike.com and on Highway Advisory Radio (1640 AM). In case of an emergency, motorists can utilize available yellow call boxes on the shoulder or dial *11 to receive aid. Motorists should be prepared to give their milepost location and direction of travel and move their vehicles out of travel lanes if possible.

Travelers can get Turnpike traffic alerts by calling 866-976-TRIP (8747) or visiting the live Travel Conditions Map online at www.paturnpike.com/webmap. The Turnpike’s smartphone app, TRIP Talk, streams audio advisories to iPhone and Droid users so they can keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road. To download the free app, visit www.paturnpike.com/triptalk.