Following negotiations between local business owners and Cheltenham Township, SEPTA is moving forward with their original timeline for repairs to the N Easton Road bridge underpass in Glenside.

This project, the design of which dates back to late 2022, is expected to begin on March 17. Current plans call for the replacement to span roughly 5-6 weeks, during which time N Easton Road between Mount Carmel Avenue and Glenside Avenue will be shut down.

Businesses will stay open with customer access, sidewalks will be open to foot traffic, and SEPTA has agreed to post additional signage to help those local businesses impacted by the project, officials said during the Board of Commissioners meeting on Wednesday, January 22.

The mural beneath the bridge will be preserved and the bridge will be preemptively constructed and then moved to the site. Officials expect no rail service on Memorial Day weekend.

“On Monday, January 13, we met at Glenside Station with 15-20 businesses in the area and the Keswick Avenue bridge businesses as well,” Bob Kent, a SEPTA spokesperson, said during the meeting. “We visited various businesses on either side of the bridge and dropped off a one-page document fact sheet, briefed them on the project, left our business cards and answered questions. For the most part, we received minimal opposition. People noted the need for the infrastructure repairs. We’re going to continue that communication.”

Commissioner Mitch Zygmund-Felt asked Kent whether the timeframe is appropriate because businesses’ prime seasons take place in the spring.

“We have had some discussions with the county, which owns Easton Road. They have a number of other projects going on that start in July. It’s going to be tough to push back our project due to operational constraints,” Kent said.

Tim Way, owner of The Ways Restaurant & Brewery which borders the railway and part of the bridge, was contacted by Mr. Kent on Friday, January 10. According to Way, Kent’s claims during the January 22 meeting are unfounded.

“He’s not saying who he talked to. From what I heard at that meeting, he doesn’t have any record of the conversations,” Way said. “They know I have an issue with it. I’ve talked to [board commissioners] Matt Areman and Jeff Chirico. They know what the deal is. We’re going to need some support from the community.”

Among Kent’s claims was a traffic study to determine an ideal time for the repairs.

“All the SEPTA representatives were saying they did it. They said they found the same amount of traffic no matter what time of year. I’d love to see a copy of it that shows traffic is the same in the summer as the spring,” Way said.

Glenside Local reached out to Mr. Kent through email and call regarding the project and the traffic study. He had not responded at the time of this writing.

“He told the commissioners everything they want to hear, but he doesn’t have any proof that he’s doing anything he’s saying,” Way said. “He says he spoke with businesses last week and everyone’s on board with the project.”

“In general, everyone is unhappy with the lack of communication about the project. We were never notified by SEPTA,” Brigett Gordon, owner of The Royal Music & Arts Center in Glenside, said. “Business owners weren’t given a chance to voice their concerns prior to the date being set.”

“Once we did voice our concerns, it doesn’t seem that they are willing to push the date to the summer. Some of the local businesses that surround this project barely survived the pandemic, and now we’re all going to potentially take a hit,” Gordon said, noting that the protocol for communicating projects like these “needs to be addressed.”

“Local business owners have a great pulse on what’s going on in this community, and the township, county, and SEPTA should consider working with them in the future,” she said.

Glenside Local also spoke with Eileen McLaughlin, an office administrator at St. Luke’s School in Glenside, about the timeline.

“The principal wanted to know what was going to happen with the meetings. He thought they’d back off or postpone,” she said, noting that the school has not received an official notice from SEPTA.

According to McLaughlin, St. Luke’s principal may alert parents about the matter soon.

Commissioner Matt Areman told Glenside Local the following:

While I understand that bridges like this need to be rehabilitated, I am concerned about the inconvenience to residents and the financial impact on our local businesses in the area. I have and will continue to press SEPTA to ensure that this necessary work is done in a way that limits the negative impact on the community. In my view, SEPTA working as efficiently and promptly as possible to minimize the length of any road closures and regular updates to the Township and the community are two critically important ingredients for a successful project.

We will in touch as we learn more. Wednesday’s meeting can be watched below. The SEPTA discussion begins around minute 31:

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.