SR 2001 study recommends segmented reconstruction, with interim low‑cost safety fixes; full build could cost $55–$68 million

Consultants working with the NEPA Metropolitan Planning Organization presented findings Nov. 5 from a year‑and‑a‑half corridor study for SR 2001, advising Pike County to break the remaining four‑mile Section 405 into discrete projects that can be prioritized and funded incrementally.

"We organized the corridor into distinct segments based on traffic patterns, crash data, crash activity, and community needs," said Brian Funkhouser, project manager for Michael Baker, during the presentation. Funkhouser said the study examined reconstruction alternatives, interim safety improvements and cost estimates for each segment.

The report describes five priority projects for the study corridor, including bridge replacement work over Hornbax (Hornbeck) and Digman's Creek, multiple roadway widening and profile changes, intersection realignment near Silver Lake Road, and several retaining‑wall and intersection reconstruction needs. The study provides alternative design options with differing maximum vertical grades (an 8% maximum grade to meet current design criteria, and a 10% alternative that would require a PennDOT design exception but reduce impacts and costs at certain locations).

Cost estimates in the presentation ranged widely based on design choices. Presenters summarized an overall estimate for the set of recommended improvements between about $55,000,000 and $68,000,000, with individual elements varying (the Digman's Creek bridge replacement alternatives were shown in the range of roughly $12 million to $23 million, and a proposed roundabout at the Silver Lake Road intersection was estimated at about $6.8 million). Funkhouser said the higher total stems from applying current engineering standards and right‑of‑way and environmental impacts in the study area.

Because of the corridor's narrow, winding geometry and a relatively high truck percentage (as high as 9 percent on parts of SR 2001), the study recommends interim, lower‑cost safety measures that could be implemented while the county seeks larger capital funding. Those items include enhanced signing and pavement markings, flashing stop‑ahead signs, advanced warning devices, vegetation clearing to improve sight lines, and intersection tweaks such as mill rumble strips and turn lanes.

Kate McMahon of the NEPA MPO said the MPO will consider the study as it updates its Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). "We will be meeting with district staff and starting the process of seeing what can carry forward in the 2027 TIP and the 12‑year program," McMahon said. She added projects with bridge components are often more competitive for a mix of PennDOT funding pots.

County commissioners asked that the study be taken to Delaware Township supervisors for local input and urged continued coordination with PennDOT central office to identify funding, particularly for projects in the $15 million and larger range. A board member said the Hornbax Creek bridge piece is likely the top candidate for near‑term priority because it can be funded from bridge program sources and has been identified previously in district programming.

Why it matters

SR 2001 has been on Pike County's transportation priority list for decades; completing the remaining reconstructed sections will address chronic safety and capacity issues. The study's segmentation approach gives the county a path to seek phased funding and implement interim fixes that can reduce near‑term risk while larger reconstruction plans are pursued.

Next steps

- NEPA MPO staff will meet with PennDOT District 4 to begin programming potential projects into the 2027 TIP and the region's 12‑year plan. - County staff and MPO/consultants will schedule follow‑up meetings with Delaware Township and Lehman Township to review priorities and secure political support for funding requests to PennDOT central office.

Direct quotations in this report are taken from the Nov. 5 meeting transcript and attributed to the presenters who spoke at the commissioners' meeting.