Loop road? Maybe next year

Posted by Rich Schwartzman on October 3, 2019

The final section of the loop road — the Hillman Drive extension — has felt for some to be more like a long and winding road. What was expected to be open more than a year ago still hasn’t gotten started.

John Coyle, the senior vice president and general counsel for The Henderson Group — owner of the Chadds Ford Business Campus through which the road will run — told Chadds Ford Township supervisors Wednesday night that Henderson just received PennDOT’s Highway Occupancy Permit. Without that, he said, nothing goes forward.

Linn Trimbell, of the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates, accepts a check for $10,0000 from Supervisors Frank Murphy, left, and Nicole Barbone, right. The Associates are a volunteer group that operate Brandywine Battlefield Park.

With colder inclement weather approaching, he said he didn’t want to get into a situation of starting and stopping work so, work will be put off until 2020. When Chadds Ford Township Supervisors’ Chairman Frank Murphy asked if work would start in the spring, Coyle said he couldn’t commit to that timeframe.

Supervisors gave final approval for the extension in December 2017 after more than two years of discussions and meetings between Henderson representatives, supervisors and the public. Work was anticipated to begin the following spring.

One of the conditions of approval was for Henderson to pay for the resurfacing of Evergreen Place with a high-friction surface. Evergreen is the lone access point to The Estates At Chadds Ford. It’s steep slope that feeds past a driveway access to the loop for condominium residents and then to a roundabout.

When finished, the Hillman Drive extension will be the final leg around the iyersection of Routes 1 and 202. It will connect with Route 1 at the traffic light across from Brandywine Drive, run past Brandywine View Antiques and Painters Crossing Condominiums, then to and around the roundabout at Evergreen and out to Route 202 where Hillman currently connects. That intersection is also scheduled to be widened.

In the interim, Coyle said, Henderson will work on the upgrade to the Knightsbridge Wastewater Treatment Plant off of Brandywine Drive. Coyle said that has to be done by winter.

Other business

Supervisors approved two liquor license transfers into the township during the Oct. 2 meeting. Getting the licenses are Antica Restaurant on Route in the Village of Chadds Ford, the other going to XGolf— an indoor golf simulation — in Painters’ Crossing shopping center.

About Rich Schwartzman

Rich Schwartzman has been reporting on events in the greater Chadds Ford area since September 2001 when he became the founding editor of The Chadds Ford Post. In April 2009 he became managing editor of ChaddsFordLive. He is also an award-winning photographer.