County outlines $40M Cross County Trail plan, warns of complex Germantown Pike bridge and lengthy approvals

Montgomery County planners and their consultants presented a detailed update on the Cross County Trail Bridge and Extension Project and fielded public questions about historic resources and construction impacts.

Bill Hartman, Trails and Open Space Planning Manager with the Montgomery County Planning Commission, said the Cross County Trail is a 20‑mile county priority with about nine miles currently completed and 11 miles to build. The county secured more than $40 million in federal funding to build the network and is contributing roughly $4.5 million; for this particular bridge and extension, Hartman said the county received $2.5 million through the Community Project Funding program via Representative Madeline Dean and is adding about $600,000 toward engineering. Hartman said construction commitments for the bridge and trail exceed $20 million and estimated the Germantown Pike bridge itself could cost roughly $10 million to $12 million.

Consultant Mike Boles of Boles Smythe & Associates described engineering constraints that make the Germantown Pike crossing unusually complex: a required grade separation, a 17.5‑foot minimum vertical clearance to pass over an existing culvert and a dense maze of utilities including a Texas Eastern gas line and PECO aerial and underground facilities. Boles said PennDOT will not allow the bridge to be placed directly over a culvert because it needs access for maintenance, which constrains alignment choices and lengthens the required span to about 600 feet. He said the county is in preliminary engineering now and expects to finish preliminary design and environmental clearance by year‑end, with final design to follow.

Boles outlined two alignment options near the Metroplex and Livesey store, noting that right‑of‑way and parking easements at adjacent commercial properties are among the issues that could affect the preferred design. He said the Butler Pike crossing will use a mid‑block rapid‑flashing beacon while the Joshua Road crossing will require a full traffic signal per PennDOT standards. Boles warned that installation of the bridge superstructure will likely require a weekend closure of Germantown Pike and a detailed traffic control plan.

Public comment focused on cultural and historic resources, local property impacts and the schedule to connect to the Erdenheim Farm section. Sydelle Zove asked whether archaeological and above‑ground historic resources (she cited lime kilns and Abolition Hall) would be evaluated. Boles said the county has retained a cultural resources specialist and has initiated archaeological investigations in the Germantown Pike area; he said the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission will review cultural studies as part of the environmental clearance process and may require additional work if current evaluations are incomplete.

Hartman said the Erdenheim Farm section has approved engineering but that easement and site‑control legal agreements remain. He said permits are in hand and county staff hopes to bid that segment this fall, with construction taking roughly two years and a likely completion around 2028 if the schedule holds.

Hartman and Boles asked residents to participate in upcoming public outreach: a virtual public meeting planned for May 2026 and an elected‑officials meeting the week before. The county will solicit stakeholder feedback throughout final design and environmental review.