First Stage Of Massive Ridge Pike Improvement Project Complete

LAFAYETTE HILL, PA — The first stage of one of the largest infrastructure projects in Montgomery County history has been completed, officials announced this week during a ribbon cutting and celebration for the Ridge Pike Improvement Project.

The crucial roadway saw significant improvements in stage one in both Whitemarsh and Springfield townships, including a full depth reconstruction of the roadway, new traffic signals, sidewalks, and more.

The project aims to improve safety and reduce congestion by reconstructing the entire length of Ridge Pike from Norristown to the city limits of Philadelphia.

“This project in its entirety is one of the most ambitious county infrastructure initiatives," Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija said in a statement. "It is a cornerstone for improving transportation in Montgomery County and across the region."

With the completion of stage one, there are now three more sections to be completed.

Some 30,000 vehicles travel daily the five miles between Norristown and Philly, and the road receives a huge influx of traffic when accidents and backups turn the Schuylkill Expressway into a parking lot.

No upgrades have been made to Ridge Pike since the 1970s.

A "full depth" reconstruction involves digging up all layers of the road, including the base of the ground which has been there for more than a century, and replacing it with new materials.

The next section will be complete by 2027, with another completed by the end of 2027, and the third by the end of the decade.