The ongoing situation along Church Road (Route 73) in the Wyncote section of Cheltenham Township were discussed in an article by the Philadelphia Inquirer titled “PennDot has a $10M plan to improve Church Road intersections, but some Cheltenham residents say it will make life worse“.
According to the story, the stretch between Rices Mill Road and Greenwood Avenue is receiving $10 million in federal funds.
In July, PennDOT announced that three months of construction in the area would result in improved traffic flow and safety by adding turn lanes. The area also would receive a new stormwater management system, and the sidewalk along the north side of Church Road would be extended from Rices Mill Road to Greenwood Avenue.
The project began in August is expected to conclude in 2026. So far, dozens of trees have been cut down to make way for the changes.
“The intersection improvements are specifically tailored to address existing traffic volumes and are not intended to encourage more traffic,” a PennDOT spokesperson told the Inquirer.
“This is not what we signed up for,” said Bobbie Muse, whose longtime home backs up to Church Road. “We signed up for a quiet suburban life and now we’re sitting in the middle of a major highway.”
Resident Linda Wright Moore said the project has resulted in the “destruction of the ambience and ecosystem in a totally residential area” and that the changes will make Church Road “even more hazardous, as well as increasing noise and pollution for those living nearby. Flooding further down Greenwood Avenue will be exacerbated by removal of old growth trees.”
Resident Emily Steinberg, who is a member of Citizens Voice of Cheltenham, worries that the changes will encourage an increase of large trucks and turn Route 73 into an access road to Route 309. She prepared a presentation featuring photos of trucks navigating the windy road.
She and other residents have expressed their concerns to Cheltenham commissioners, who encouraged them to reach out to PennDOT. A PennDOT statement said that the project “will help eliminate the back-ups but also enable more people to use the roadway to access 309, ensuring a long-term solution to traffic congestion.”
Township officials said the improvement project is the culmination of nearly 20 years of discussions with PennDOT and 13 revisions, the Inquirer wrote.
“Throughout the upcoming construction stage, Cheltenham Township has an email set up [the address is churchrdpenndot@cheltenhampa.gov] to receive continued questions from the public’” Lauren Walters, the township’s public information officer, said. “Our staff will continue to communicate with PennDOT and their project managers to get answers to any questions that arise.”
For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.
Photos: Google, PennDOT