Montco breaks ground for multi-year, multimillion dollar Ridge Pike improvement project

Drivers along Ridge Pike in Plymouth Township might see some disruption along the roadway starting Wednesday as Montgomery County gets the next phase of a multi-year road improvement project underway.

 On Wednesday afternoon, county officials broke ground on Section B of the Ridge Pike Improvement Project in Plymouth Township, which will focus on a section from Belvoir Road to Chemical Road.

The overall project will make major changes from Norristown into the Philadelphia city limits.

Ken Lawrence, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, touted the project during ceremony for the groundbreaking on Wednesday.

"For anyone who has traveled in this area, especially along Ridge Pike, you know how frustrating and precarious it has been. Regular traffic accidents and traffic congestion caused by outdated infrastructure have plagued the area for years," he said. "However, we are looking forward to a new day."

As detailed by organizers, Section B "will be a full-depth roadway reconstruction that improves safety and reduces congestion."

Lawrence noted the overall project began with work on Section D back in 2022.

Section B is intended to widen the roadway and create a center left-turn lane, add traffic signals at Industrial Way and Carland Road, reconfigure the I-476 interchange with signalized intersections, officials said.

Also, through this portion of the multi-year project, the westbound jughandle at Alan Wood Road will be replaced with double left-turn lanes, and construction will add what organizers called "much-needed" stormwater management facilities.

Overall, the Ridge Pike project area is nearly five miles long and the project will likely cost about $150 million. Section B alone is projected to cost about $40 million.

Construction on this overall project has begun, but it is expected to not be completed until late 2025.