by KYW's Lynne Adkins

That annoying detour has finally ended for thousands of daily commuters using a major Chestnut Hill intersection.

After five weeks, the intersection of Cresheim Valley Drive and Germantown Avenue is once again open. It was closed on April 3rd, forcing thousands of drivers to find other ways to and from Lincoln Drive (see previous stories).

The work was originally scheduled to be completed by the end of April, but Harold Windisch, senior construction engineer for Penndot, says there were problems:

"There was a little bit of additional drainage work at the intersection we had to do. We had a tough time with the rail installation, and that corresponded to a week and a half longer than we anticipated."

This is part of a $17-million project that is rebuilding a portion of  Germantown Avenue and replacing century-old underground utility lines.

Windisch says the entire project is behind schedule. The current phase between Cresheim Valley Drive and Woodbrook Lane should be finished by Memorial Day.