The gas main and service replacement projects in Newtown Borough and Newtown Township were scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025; however, permitting for the SEPTA railroad crossing on South State Street, south of Chancellor Street, was not approved in time to continue work. As a result, the project could not be completed in 2025.
Overall, 82% of the gas main installation and 86% of the service replacements were completed in 2025.
The SEPTA railroad crossing has now been approved. With this revised permit approval, the project will restart to complete the remaining 1,100 feet of new main installation and replacement of the remaining 8 services on South State Street in both Newtown Borough and Newtown Township.
The approved permit allows for an “open cut” across the railroad tracks, which is a significant improvement over a more restrictive “jack and bore” installation that would have required a 24-hour road closure for approximately two months. The remaining work will still require some road closures (using existing detours) due to the need to safely install portions of the new main within the center of the roadway. However, some of the remaining work will be completed under flagging operations to allow traffic to pass through the work zone. Any required closures will be limited to weekdays between 9:00 AM and 3:00 PM.
The remaining replacement work is expected to take approximately six weeks, with an anticipated completion date of mid-June.
Immediately following completion of construction, final restoration work will commence for the entire project. Restoration is expected to take approximately two to three weeks.