A busy stretch in Delaware County is about to become even worse because of bridge construction

Construction is coming to an area in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, already choked by congestion.

PennDOT has announced long-awaited plans to replace a bridge built in 1950 that carries State Road (U.S. Route 1) across the Darby Creek, linking Upper Darby and Springfield townships.

Drivers said that at rush hour, it can take upwards of 20 minutes to travel the busy stretch of roadway near Rolling Road.

"I've lived down Rolling Road for 22 years, and the traffic is always bad," Gary Thomas said.

"It's going to be very congested just because of how this area is," Frank Bisciotti of Drexel Hill said. "Over there in Springfield, it gets a little hairy, so you're going to have to use some side streets. But this is the main artery, so it'll get a little congested."

Replacement work will begin in the fall for the $16.3 million project. PennDOT said State Road will remain open. The pace will be what is known as "slow construction" to accommodate the heavy volume of traffic.

"If we could close this bridge, we could do it much quicker," said Mike Holva, who is the PennDOT project manager for the Route41/Route project. "But it carries 30,000 cars a day. It's a major route, so we're are doing it in stage fashion. It will be five stages of construction. We are not taking out any lanes. We will maintain what's out there and keep traffic moving."

Bill Prince, of Prince's Automotive in Springfield, said they need to do it because the bridge has been bad for a long time. PennDOT notified him 10 years ago of plans to replace the bridge.

"At 5 o'clock, you can wait all the way up by the Blue Route to get down to this light," he said. "That's far, about a mile and a half and there is a lot of traffic."

PennDOT will host a public meeting Thursday night about the construction.