Upper Dublin Township and the Pennsylvania Turnpike have officially opened a new limited access ramp, providing a direct connection from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Fort Washington (PA 309) Interchange to the Greater Fort Washington District at Commerce Drive. A project initiated by Upper Dublin Township as part of their plan to revitalize the former Fort Washington Office Park, the new Fort Washington Zip Ramp is designed to improve mobility, reduce congestion, and enhance access throughout the Fort Washington area.
In 2016, the Upper Dublin Township created the Municipal Authority, representing 134
properties within the former Fort Washington Office Park. Over the past decade, Upper
Dublin Township and the Municipal Authority have led a transformative campaign to
revitalize the Fort Washington Office Park, evolving it into the vibrant, mixed-use Greater
Fort Washington District. The opening of the Fort Washington Zip Ramp marks a milestone
event, recognized as one of the founding projects that inspired the Municipal Authority’s
creation.
“Today is a milestone event for Upper Dublin,” said Kurt M. Ferguson, Municipal Authority
Executive Director, Upper Dublin Township. “This project and the previous projects have
seen a remarkable return of investment in the Greater Fort Washington District, including
TruMark Financial’s strong and unwavering support of this ramp and the Fort Washington
area, LifeTime Fitness selecting their site just beyond the ramp on Commerce Drive, and
property owners reinvesting in their properties to reaffirm their presence in Upper Dublin.
The Township’s decision to relocate the Public Library to Virginia Drive in a manner that has
been recognized as award winning has also added to that.”
The new off-ramp was made possible due to the PA Turnpike’s transition to Open Road
Tolling (ORT), a cashless, free-flowing mode of collecting tolls without traditional toll
plazas or toll booths. Since 2000, the PA Turnpike has added four new access points.
However, ORT now makes it easier for the PA Turnpike to continue to add new access
points to communities, helping support economic development, enhance mobility and
ease traffic.
Beyond improved access, the PA Turnpike is working with local communities and various
stakeholders as it reconfigures interchanges under ORT, aligning redesign efforts with local
goals where possible to identify and evaluate future interchange opportunities that
strengthen mobility and support economic growth. Beyond supporting Upper Dublin’s
reinvigoration of the Greater Fort Washington District, other redesigns include additional
truck parking and the preservation of a community roundabout.
“We are proud to be a vital transportation partner that strengthens the Commonwealth’s
infrastructure and competitiveness,” said PA Turnpike CEO Mark Compton. “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. We are proud to have played a
role in this project, helping support their vision of transforming the Greater Fort
Washington District.”
Since 2016, nearly $45 million has been invested into the Great Fort Washington District’s
infrastructure, with almost 70% of funding coming from grants and partners such as the PA
Department of Community & Economic Development and Montgomery County,
underscoring the project’s regional significance and collaborative spirit.
Montgomery County supported this effort with over a half a million dollars in funding.
“Today is a milestone for the collaborative energy that continues to transform the Greater
Fort Washington District,” said Jamila Winder, Chair of the Montgomery County Board
Commissioners. “We know that strong communities depend on strong connections. By
making these daily connections safer and more reliable, we’re investing in people’s quality
of life.”
This Zip Ramp project was part of a 2015 Montgomery County study that identified
destination centers that would benefit from effective access points to the PA Turnpike. As
part of that study, Montgomery County has partnered with Upper Dublin Township,
Horsham, Upper Moreland and neighboring municipalities to advance additional access
improvements along the corridor.
“Infrastructure projects like this are about much more than pavement and concrete,” said
Pennsylvania State Representative Melissa Cerrato. “They are investments in people,
businesses, and the future of our community. Every minute saved on a commute, every
truck that reaches its destination more efficiently, and every constituent who can more
easily access our local businesses, strengthens our regional economy. The zip ramp, while
small in length, is huge in progress. Together, we celebrate not just a new roadway, but
new opportunities.”
“This ribbon cutting is about so much more than a new ramp,” said Pennsylvania State
Senator Maria Collett. “It’s about creating better connections, improving access to jobs
and businesses, and continuing to transform the Greater Fort Washington District into a
thriving mixed-use destination. This incredible milestone was made possible because
Upper Dublin had a vision and refused to give up on it. This is what strong communities do.
We dream big and work together and keep pushing forward, even when the road is long.”
In 2016, the Multimodal Transportation Funding Grant Program awarded just over $2
million for this project through the Commonwealth Financing Authority. Since then, there’s
been other grants awarded for projects in the area, including the nearby Cross County
Trail, a regional Circuit Trail.
