 Completing the Woodhaven Road/PA 63 Expressway has been a local transportation objective for over 40 years. Plans for constructing the expressway began in 1954 when the corridor was placed on the City of Philadelphia Comprehensive Plan following a public hearing before City Council in early 1953. At that time, the Woodhaven Road/PA 63 Expressway was intended to connect the Delaware Expressway (now I-95) on the east with the Pennsylvania Turnpike on the west.
Early Plans Developed: the 1950s and 60s
In 1957, a corridor location study established the general corridor of the route on an alignment consistent with the City of Philadelphia plan.
Known then as the Woodhaven Road Expressway, the proposed project from I-95 to U.S. 1 was placed on the State Highway System in 1961.
In 1966, the existing portion of the expressway from I-95 to U.S. 1 was constructed by the state and opened to traffic.
In 1968, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved a design location study for the remaining portion. A public hearing was held and construction approval for the western portion of the expressway was granted.
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Numerous Studies Initiated: the 1970s
In the early 1970s, an environmental re-evaluation of the proposed western portion of the expressway was conducted in accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) guidelines.
The Woodhaven Road Advisory Panel, comprised of representatives from PENNDOT, the City of Philadelphia, and Montgomery and Bucks Counties, recommended that the extension of the Woodhaven Expressway terminate at Byberry Road and Philmont Avenue rather than farther west at the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
In January 1974, an additional environmental reassessment prompted FHWA to determine that the environmental effects of the proposed project had been satisfactorily considered and that no further studies would be required. Environmental clearance for the project was then granted.
During the mid-1970s, PENNDOT purchased a major portion of required right-of-way and relocated 35 families whose homes were located within it.
In 1975, FHWA directed PENNDOT to prepare a new environmental analysis of the project, proposing an extension of the Woodhaven Expressway that would terminate at Byberry Road and Philmont Avenue.
In 1975, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) approved a PENNDOT application to construct a railroad crossing for the Woodhaven Expressway.
In 1977, the project was put on hold due to a lack of funds.
In 1979, PENNDOT reactivated the project and once again began the traffic and preliminary engineering studies.
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Controversies Continue: the 1980s
In 1982, the PUC ordered PENNDOT to submit detailed construction plans for the extension of the Woodhaven Expressway, which would have included the removal of the Byberry Road bridge.
In 1986, the PUC ordered PENNDOT to separate the bridge replacement from the highway project and to submit construction plans for the replacement of the Byberry Road bridge.
Several public meetings were held in 1983.
In 1986, progress on the project was halted due to fiscal constraints.
In 1988, new engineering and environmental studies were initiated.
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Agreement on Bridge Replacement Reached: the 1990s
As directed by the PUC, PENNDOT replaced the structure with a temporary bridge during the summer of 1995 and will maintain it until final resolution of the Woodhaven project.
The PUC order required the temporary bridge to be posted with a 3-ton weight limit, which virtually restricts all but passenger vehicles from using it.
In 1997 and 1998, two public meetings were held to provide the public an opportunity to comment on the most recent alternatives analysis and detailed environmental studies.
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 Renewed Interest: 2000 to the Present
In January 2002, another public meeting was held to show the latest alternatives to local residents and provide an opportunity for the public to choose which option best warranted further evaluation. Over 1,200 residents attended this meeting, signifying a renewed interest in the project.
Meeting attendees also expressed a concern about improving other roads in the network while leaving an existing two-lane section of County Line Road between Buck Road and New Road unimproved. As a result, the project area was expanded to include an analysis of this section of County Line Road.
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