Public invited to open house on progress of Cross County Trail West

NORRISTOWN >> The Montgomery County Planning Commission (MCPC), in partnership with its consultant team led by NV5, has been studying the feasibility of completing the Cross County Trail in Plymouth and Whitemarsh townships and has announced the second planned public open house to update community members on the progress that has been made.

The planning team has assembled a set of preliminary trail route alternatives that will close the Cross County Trail gaps between Germantown Pike and Erdenheim Farms and between Fort Washington State Park and the SEPTA Fort Washington Regional Rail Station.

The public open house is scheduled for Wednesday, March 8, from 6 to 8 p.m., at the Miles Park Building located at 4021 Joshua Road in Lafayette Hill. The project team will present the trail route alternatives being considered and will give information on how residents can be active in the process. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask questions and participate in a mapping exercise and survey on the presented alternatives.

Attendees can arrive anytime between 6 and 8 p.m. to participate. Those who are unable to attend the open house can visit www.montcopa. org/CrossCountyTrailWest to view the open house materials and participate online between March 8 and March 31, 2023.

The feedback received at the open house and online will assist the planning team in determining the final preferred trail alternative and will set the course for future design and construction of the remainder of the Cross County Trail. In an area containing many historical and ecological resources, specifically along Wissahickon Creek and Bethlehem Pike, it will be important for the planning team to prioritize the connections this major regional trail will create.

The entire Cross County Trail, once completed, is planned to stretch from Conshohocken in the west to the Pennypack Trail in the east, totaling 17.5 miles in all, and will connect the Schuylkill River, Wissahickon Creek, Cresheim, and Power Line Trails. The planning study for this western portion of the trail is anticipated to be completed in summer 2023.

People with questions can contact Brian J. Olszak at brian.olszak@ montgomerycountypa.gov or (610) 278-3737.