Ridge Pike Improvement Project Aims To 'Significantly' Ease Traffic

Norristown, PA -- Montgomery County is inviting the public to attend an open house focusing on the Crescent Avenue to Northwestern Avenue segment of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project, according to press release issued Wednesday.

This segment runs through Whitemarsh and Springfield Townships. Ridge Pike is a regional conduit that affects traffic as far away as Philadelphia and Norristown.

The open house will take place on Monday, June 20, 2016 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm at the Whitemarsh Township Building

located at 616 Germantown Pike in Lafayette Hill.

“Many Whitemarsh and Springfield citizens have voiced their frustration over traffic congestion in this area. The Ridge Pike Improvement Project, a major investment by Montgomery County, will significantly alleviate traffic congestion, increase safety, and enhance the environment for those who use public transit, walk, or bike,” said Matthew Edmond, Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC) Transportation Section Chief, in a statement. 

Ridge Pike, which is owned by Montgomery County from Norristown to Philadelphia, provides access to I-476 (the Blue Route) as well as numerous commercial centers. The five miles between Norristown and Philadelphia carry between 20,000 and 30,000 cars daily, according to the county. 

The original “turnpike” dates to colonial days when Ridge Pike connected Philadelphia to agricultural lands. Many of the structures remaining along Ridge Pike have been part of the landscape for a very long time, the county said. 

The modern roadway dates from the 1930s. Through the years, Ridge Pike has been widened, reconstructed in concrete around the 1970s, and repaved numerous times, the press release states.

The Ridge Pike Improvement Project, which is divided into several manageable segments for engineering and construction, will help relieve traffic congestion and improve safety, the county said. 

Patch file photo via shutterstock.