NEW TRAIN STATION MAY HELP BOOST CITY WEST OF PHILADELPHIA

New Train Station in Coatesville, Pa., May Help Boost City West of Philadelphia

PennDOT rendering

Construction of the new Coatesville train station is slated to get under way later this year and expected to be completed by 2025.

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The long-planned effort to build a new $65 million train station in Coatesville, Pa., took another step forward Oct. 22 when federal, state and local officials broke ground on a project that will seek to revitalize the Chester County city.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf called the project’s groundbreaking “a significant milestone” in helping develop a modern accessible train station in Coatesville and improve connections to Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Pennsylvania News Today noted that in Wolf’s remarks he described himself as a long-term user of Amtrak’s Keystone Corridor. In addition, he said a modern Coatesville station will meet the needs of the 21st century and improve fairness and accessibility.

“The project will improve equity, accessibility and reliability in transportation and that’s exactly what Coatesville needs to continue growing and thriving,” Wolf said.

More than a decade in the making, construction of the new train station and commuter lot adjacent to it is expected to get under way later this year — weather permitting. The revitalization project is slated to be completed by 2025.

The building effort is a Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)-led initiative. The Federal Transit Administration is expected to kick in $52 million of the project’s overall $65 million cost, with the remaining $13 million to be provided through PennDOT and Chester County funds.

Station to Replace Facility Closed in 1996

The new transportation hub will be built on Fleetwood Street between Third and Fourth avenues in Coatesville, just east of the existing historic station building at Third and Fleetwood. That facility has been closed for 25 years and does not meet ADA accessibility requirements.

But the new Coatesville train station will include updated ADA accessibility as well as provide level boarding platforms, elevators, ramps, site lighting and security cameras, improved drainage and surface parking for local and regional commuters, PhillyVoice reported. The station’s platforms will have canopies and seating, and an audio-visual public address system.

The rails themselves also will be improved upon and will include a bypass track to be constructed by Amtrak to facilitate train traffic past the station’s high-level platforms.

A 175,000-sq.-ft. multimodal parking facility at Fourth Avenue and Fleetwood Street will accompany the new station. It is expected to include bus transportation integration, sheltered waiting shelters, bicycle racks and nearly 500 parking spaces to support Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA), Amtrak and local bus services.

The bridge that takes Fourth Avenue underneath the railroad will be converted into a pedestrian underpass, and a tunnel liner will be installed to eliminate water leakage.

Designers also have given the builders a new layout for Fleetwood Street that will maximize space for commercial and retail development on the south side, opposite the new station’s location, PhillyVoice reported.

During the project design phase, PennDOT worked with the local community on streetscape improvements on Third and Fourth avenues in 2019 and 2020 to improve pedestrian and bicycle access from downtown Coatesville to the new station. Its contemporary designs were completed earlier this year.

PhillyVoice noted that Amtrak has said it would increase train frequency at the new station once completed, and SEPTA has signaled plans to resume Regional Rail service to the city in the future too.

“The restored regional rail service will go a long way to help in Coatesville’s revitalization, boost economic opportunities, and most important, bring equitable transportation to the people of this city,” Chester County Commissioners Chairperson Marian Moskowitz said at the groundbreaking. “I look forward to seeing these channels of transportation allow people to come here and explore the city’s culture and strength.”

SEPTA Regional Rail once served Coatesville but truncated the service, ending in Thorndale. The train — then known as the R5 — traveled between Center City and through the Main Line and other western suburbs of Philadelphia.

Service to Coatesville ceased in the mid-’90s due to low ridership, but the area’s growing population and local advocacy have resulted in the station’s revival. 

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INFRASTRUCTURE from page 32

Corps of Engineers funding for storm damage protection, FEMA flood mitigation, and federal airport improvement projects.

North Dakota

North Dakota can expect to receive $21 million over five years to protect against wildfires and $11 million against cyberattacks, according to the Minot Daily News.

The state also will receive $355 million to improve water infrastructure; $2 billion for North Dakota’s roads, bridges and highways; $225 million is set aside for North Dakota to improve and upgrade bridge infrastructure; and $66 billion for passenger and freight rail.

Ohio

Ohio is set to receive $9.2 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $483 million to repair and replace bridges. The bill also creates multiple funding mechanisms for projects such as the $2.5 billion replacement of the Brent Spence Bridge between Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.

Ohio also will see $1.2 billion for public transportation and $1.4 billion for water infrastructure projects, reports the Columbus Dispatch. Of the $1.25 billion set aside for the Appalachian Development Highway System, approximately $95 million would go to Ohio.

Oklahoma

Approximately $4.3 billion is designated in the infrastructure bill for Oklahoma highway repairs and construction. The White House announced another $266 million is set aside for bridge replacement and repairs.

In addition, $354 million is earmarked for public transportation; $66 million allotted to expand the state’s EV charging network; and $100 million is set aside for rural broadband improvements.

Oregon

Oregon will receive more than $5 billion from President Biden’s infrastructure bill, most of it for roads. The state transportation department expects approximately $1.2 billion of initial money, and the rest slotted for counties, cities and metropolitan planning organizations.

The Statesman Journal reports that the city of Salem will receive $34 million for roads and Eugene, $35 million. Salem is slated to receive $33 million, and Eugene $67 million, for public transportation. In addition to the highway funds, $268 million is set aside for bridge repairs and replacement,

The IIJA designates $52 million for EV station expansion; $39 million for wildfire prevention; $15 million to protect against cyberattacks; $529 million for water infrastructure and $211 million airport infrastructure.

Amtrak’s $66 billion designation to improve service could impact the stretch from Eugene and Salem north into Washington and Canada. The Statesman Journal notes the Oregon Transportation Commission will receive a briefing about the additional funds and will decide by March 2022, how to spend about a third of the $1.2 billion it expects to receive. officials are considering replacement of the I-83 bridge in Harrisburg five-lane structure and rehabilitation of the 92year-old Veterans Memorial Bridge over the Susquehanna River at a cost of nearly $59.8 million.

The bill designates $11.3 billion to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund, affecting 43 of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. The state also would see $171 million to expand its EV charging network and $2.8 billion for public transportation.

The infrastructure at both national and state airports is a big part of President Biden’s investment and jobs plan.

Rhode Island

Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed announced that the IIJA would provide $1.7 billion in highway and bridge funding as well as $277 million for mass transit, $45 million for airports and $23 million for EV charging stations. The state also would get $100 million to expand high-speed internet and $55 billion for water infrastructure.

South Carolina

The White House announced that South Carolina will receive $4.9 billion for roads and bridges; $366 million for public transportation; and $70 million to expand its network of EV charging stations

The state also will get $18.3 million to help protect against cyberattacks, $510 million to improve drinking water quality and $161 million for improvements to airport infrastructure.

South Dakota

It was announced in August that South Dakota was slated to get $1.9 billion for federal-aid highway apportioned programs and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs. Plus, $355 million is designated to improve water infrastructure and $82 million for infrastructure development for airports.

The White House announced the state would see $124 million to improve public transportation; $29 million to support expansion of an EV charging network; $19.6 million to protect against wildfires; and $11.7 million to protect against cyberattacks. port improvements.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation noted $697 million is dedicated to improve water infrastructure across Tennessee, $21 million to protect against cyberattacks and $17 million to protect against wildfires.

Texas

Texas will receive approximately $35 billion for roads, bridges, broadband access, EV charging stations and more. The White House announced that nearly $27 billion has been set aside for federal highway projects and $3.3 billion for public transportation.

The state’s drinking water infrastructure will benefit from $2.9 billion; airports, $1.2 billion; bridges, $537 million; and the state’s EV charging network, $408 million. Texas will get $53 million for wildfire protection and $42 million for protection against cyberattacks.

Utah

Utah Sen. Mitt Romney announced his state will see $3 billion for highway and road construction and repairs. Another $219 million is slated for municipalities to provide clean drinking water to residents.

More than $200 million will bring water to the Navajo Nation in Utah, where approximately 40 percent of its members living on sovereign land currently don’t have running water.

The state also is set to receive $50 million for the Central Utah Project Completion Act, a project that directs water from the Colorado River for residential, commercial and agricultural purposes.

Vermont

Vermont will be awarded $1.4 billion for federal-aid highway programs over five years, announced Rep. Peter Welch, and $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs. Approximately $21 million is earmarked to expand Vermont’s EV charging network.

In addition, $77 million is designated for improvements and expansion of the state’s public transportation programs; $355 million to improve water infrastructure over five years; and $150 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission for regional economic development.

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Volvo CE Unveils CX01 Single-Drum Asphalt Compactor Concept at Utility Expo

Designed for autonomous operation and multiunit communication, the CX01 concept is already influencing future Volvo CE machine design.

As a part of its continuous pursuit of ground-breaking machine innovation, Volvo Construction Equipment unveiled its CX01 single-drum asphalt compactor concept at The Utility Expo in Louisville, Ky.

The CX01 concept utilizes one vibratory asphalt compactor drum that’s actually two independent halves (called a split-drum) kept upright by a self-balancing control system. Capable of being operated either by remote-control or entirely autonomously, the machine also is fitted with both a diesel engine and an energy storage system, making it a flexible electric hybrid solution. It can be operated in diesel-only, hybrid or fully electric modes.

Proving Volvo CE’s capacity for innovation across a variety of segments, this concept machine is the latest in the Concept Lab family of prototype machines that push the boundaries of conventional construction equipment.

“While the CX01 is a conceptual product, the research and development that have gone into it will benefit customers in other ways,” said Justin Zupanc, head of the asphalt compaction development team, Volvo CE. “It’s exciting for our engineers to push themselves to develop new and innovative ideas, and we’ve had personnel from the U.S. and Europe involved in the design, build and test phases of this concept.”

Customer-Centered Design

The CX01 concept provides an opportunity to fundamentally rethink the paving process to address customer needs, both improving the conditions for the operator and increasing productivity. By redesigning the compactors themselves, the operator is removed from the unit — reducing exposure to vibration, noise, dust and other associated environmental conditions — and freed up to autonomously control a fleet of CX units working together to compact asphalt surfaces.

A fleet of these units deployed on larger jobs could work together and communicate not only between each CX unit but also to other pieces of equipment on the site. The machines could survey the job site, report on the conditions of the mat — things like density, temperature and passes — and determine when and where to compact.

Compaction cycles can be streamlined, costs reduced and more agile work patterns set up, due to the machine’s compact design and precise maneuverability. Rolling pattern, weight and number of rollers can all easily be adjusted to match the width, thickness and speed of paving operation — providing a complete paving solution for whatever the job might be, from light infrastructure to highway construction.

The CX01 can be matched with Volvo’s existing co-pilot system so that all work can be handled remotely via a touchscreen interface. In addition, it uses GPS position tracking to monitor job performance and help customers better hit their productivity targets.

While the CX01 concept has been purely an exploration, some learnings could be applied to future products.

“Remote control and autonomous operations are areas of focus for us in R&D. Also, while the low-friction water reduction coating on the drum shell is theoretical, it could be a huge benefit on larger machines to decrease the amount of water needed,” Zupanc said. “It is exciting to think how the theories showcased on the CX01 could be realized on compaction production units in the future.”

For more information, visit www.volvoce.com. 