Details on PennDOT Project That Will Reshape Middletown

Hello! I'm writing these articles to better understand what's happening in Middletown. Today, I'm diving into the Route 352 and Route 1 PennDOT study. It was released on Monday.

If you find this useful, please share it with someone you know. Have a suggestion or info for me? Just reply directly to this email.

The Main Interchange (Area 1).

The recommended plan includes so many changes here, I have a hard time visualizing it without just looking at it:

That's an additional connector road with a new light at the Riddle Glen Condos, and removal of the always-potholed ramp to go south on 352. If you're coming north on 352 and you want to turn left, that dangerous downward clover ramp is gone.

Baltimore Pike & Pennell Road (Area 2)

They want to add dual left-turn lanes on both Baltimore Pike and Pennell Road to help move more cars through each green light. That means construction to widen both of these roads. Here's what it would look like:

Route 352 & Pennell Road (Area 3)

They recommend widening 352 to allow for two lanes in each direction, and also adding a double left-turn lane for drivers turning from Pennell Road onto 352 North. Here's what it would look like:

Displacements

I'm going to have to dig into this more, but the plan says that potential displacements are a serious concern. They see up to 192 residential, 53 commercial, and 37 other buildings that may need demolition or removal of property.

Other Areas

They recommend a totally new access road for anyone living in the Blackhorse Lane development. Those residents will now have a way to leave their community without having to pull into the Route 1 traffic.

More to Come

There's a lot to dig into here. More information (and direction on how to submit a public comment) is located here. Public comment closes on July 17th. PennDOT hasn't announced the next steps beyond the Environmental Impact assessment. No timeline, either. More to come.