Rain postpones Montco Blue Route construction

Thanks to the weekend deluge and yesterday's rain, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has postponed until tomorrow the introduction of a new traffic pattern on a four-mile stretch of the Blue Route (I-476) in Montgomery County that is being rebuilt.

Under the new pattern, a southbound express lane will be extended from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Mid-County interchange to just south of the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) interchange.

The express lane will be established on the northbound side of the highway, leaving two local lanes on the southbound side.

Drivers will not be able to access the I-76 off-ramps and the ramp to Route 23 from the temporary southbound express lane.

PennDot will keep three lanes of traffic open in each direction on I-476 during peak travel times. Occasional weeknight lane closures may occur from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., with short-term, 15-minute traffic stoppages possible from 1 to 5 a.m. - Inquirer staff