Photo courtesy of Dave Wilkins This image shows the status of the roundabout at Market St. and Pennsylvania Ave. The inside half-circle is designed for super loads to pass through the intersection while the outer red circle that is underway will semi-trucks.

Work on phase one continues as the intersection at Market St. and Pennsylvania starts to take on a visibly circular form.

Construction of the roundabout started April 3, which has restricted traffic to westbound only for the last month.

That phase was projected to take around two months and PennDOT officials say the switch from phase one to phase two will happen next month.

Visible elements are starting to take shape.

Project Manager Ted Wilson said that is taking shape now is the “inner apron” for super load trucks. “”In the center of that will be the modular brick wall. The city is going to have their decorations and stuff like that in there.”

The outer apron will be poured next and Wilson said that’s designed for semi trucks and “anything larger than a traditional vehicle.”

While it may look like brick, it’s actually stamped concrete but Wilson said the intention is to have a brick-like look.

Not all the work that has been completed so far in this phase is visible.

Wilson said the primary non-visible work is drainage.

“Before this project, there was not adequate drainage,” he explained, and “probably quite a bit of ponding.”

He explained 32 new drainage facilities are being added.

“You can see the open ditches as people travel through the project now,” Wilson said, explaining that work for this phase should be completed this week.

He added there has also been a “lot of utility realignment.”

Wilson said the plan is to switch from Phase 1 to Phase 2 in mid-to-late June.

“We’re on track for that,” he said.

When that switch happens, the traffic pattern will flip and eastbound traffic will use the southern portion of the roundabout while westbound traffic will have to turn right to go north on Market St.

This intersection has been a key intersection in Warren for many decades.

That means that some discoveries have been made as the digging went deeper.

Wilson said that timbers from a trolley line were uncovered.

“(They are) not in the greatest shape but they are there,” he said. “They were pretty close to the surface actually.”

Remnants of old foundations have also been found, suggesting that the road likely hasn’t always been where it is.

Overall, PennDOT believes the project is going well.

“It’s moving along rather smoothly,” Wilson said. “We’re looking forward to getting this thing completed.”