UPPER DUBLIN TWP, PA — A new limited-access ramp connecting the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s Fort Washington (PA 309) Interchange to Commerce Drive opened Tuesday, creating a direct gateway to the Greater Fort Washington District as local and state officials seek to support redevelopment of the former Fort Washington Office Park.
The Fort Washington Zip Ramp links the turnpike interchange with the mixed-use district, a project local officials have pursued for more than a decade as part of a broader effort to reposition the aging office park for new commercial investment and improved transportation access. The opening also marks one of the first new access points made possible under the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s transition to Open Road Tolling, which eliminates traditional toll plazas and expands opportunities to redesign interchanges.
The Pennsylvania Turnpike said the shift to cashless tolling allows greater flexibility to add new access points while working with municipalities to improve mobility, reduce congestion and support economic development. Since 2000, the agency has added four new turnpike access points, and officials said the new tolling system is expected to make similar projects easier to pursue.
The project stems from Upper Dublin Township’s long-term redevelopment strategy for the former Fort Washington Office Park. In 2016, the township established a municipal authority representing 134 properties in the business park to guide its transformation into the Greater Fort Washington District.
Since then, nearly $45 million has been invested in infrastructure serving the district, with about 70% of the funding provided through grants and public-sector partners, including the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development and Montgomery County. Montgomery County contributed more than $500,000 to the ramp project.
The ramp also traces its origins to a 2015 Montgomery County study that identified locations where additional turnpike access could strengthen regional transportation and economic activity. County officials said the effort has expanded into partnerships with Upper Dublin, Horsham, Upper Moreland and neighboring municipalities to evaluate additional interchange improvements along the corridor.
“We are proud to be a vital transportation partner that strengthens the Commonwealth’s infrastructure and competitiveness,” Pennsylvania Turnpike Chief Executive Officer Mark Compton said. “When the PA Turnpike Commission works with communities during the early project planning stages, we can better understand their priorities and identify opportunities that benefit the PA Turnpike, our customers and the communities we serve.”
In addition to the new ramp, planning associated with the Open Road Tolling conversion has incorporated other local improvements, including additional truck parking and preservation of a community roundabout, according to the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The agency said it intends to continue coordinating interchange redesigns with local governments where possible.
Boles Smyth Associates Inc. served as engineer for the Upper Dublin Township Municipal Authority and township traffic engineer on the project.
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