Months of work for Norristown line

SEPTA said yesterday it will likely take two more months to complete repairs on the Norristown High Speed Line, which has had service restrictions since flooding in early September.

The record rainfall in August combined with Tropical Storm Lee weakened the soil on part of the line, which runs between 69th Street Terminal in Upper Darby to Norristown. Boarding between Radnor and Bryn Mawr has been restricted to the outbound platform for both directions, causing delays and crowded trains for thousands of passengers.

A $2.3 million contract has been awarded to Allan A. Meyers Inc., a Worcester firm, to install a retaining wall with deep foundations for the 40-foot-high embankment, officials said. Service should not be disrupted during construction, and General Manager Joseph Casey issued a written apology to riders on the agency’s website.

“This is a very difficult location and a very complex project that we’re pushing forward very quickly,” SEPTA’s chief engineer Jeff Knueppel explained yesterday. “We understand the inconvenience to our riders, and we’re doing everything we can to get this fixed quickly.”

Knueppel said the repair is complicated by the fact that workers have to build an access road to the site and that the damage is right near a PECO power line. He said the rest of the line has been inspected and deemed safe.