Montgomery County Commissioners Neil Makhija, Jamila Winder and Tom DiBello were accompanied by members of the Planning Commission, Transportation Authority, and local Townships to celebrate the completion of the first section of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project. (Photo courtesy Montgomery County PA)
Thoroughfare’s additional sections scheduled for construction over several years
The first phase of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project was completed as Montgomery County officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Lafayette Hill last week.
The multi-phased project’s first phase focused on Springfield and Whitemarsh townships, from Crescent Avenue to the Philadelphia city line. Improvements included roadway reconstruction, as well as traffic signal and sidewalk installations as project goals were designed to address safety and congestion issues.
“This project in its entirety is one of the most ambitious county infrastructure initiatives. It is a cornerstone for improving transportation in Montgomery County and across the region,” Montgomery County Commissioners’ Vice Chairman Neil Makhija said in a Nov. 20 statement.
Around 30,000 vehicles travel between Norristown and Philadelphia along Ridge Pike each day, according to a county spokesperson, who said the last upgrades were done in the 1970s.
“We had to do what’s called a full-depth road reconstruction: We dug up all the layers of road that had been laid for over a century and replaced them with new road,” Makhija said.
The overall Ridge Pike Improvement Project spans nearly five miles and those overseeing the transportation initiative divided the road into four sections, according to county officials, who estimated overall construction would take 31 months.
Construction on Section B, from Belvoir to Chemical roads in Plymouth Township is expected to wrap up in 2027.
Section A, from School Lane to Belvoir Road, includes bridges over the Pennsylvania Turnpike and Norfolk Southern railway, is scheduled to begin construction in 2025 and finish at the end of 2027. Section C, from Harmon Road to Crescent Avenue, in Whitemarsh Township, is slated to start construction in late 2026 and wrap up “by the end of the decade.”
“We know major infrastructure projects are not quick, and while they’re ongoing there’s often a lot of frustration for commuters. But now, we are beginning to see the fruits of the labor,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Tom DiBello in a statement.
“Completing this first section of Ridge Pike here is the first step in making this whole corridor up to Norristown safer and more enjoyable to travel,” he said. “It’s an incredibly important corridor for not only the residents here in Whitemarsh and Springfield townships but also for the local economy.”
