The Borough > Community Development
Rt. 29 Realignment at the Collegeville Dogleg

For several years the Borough has been working with Montgomery County and the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to relieve traffic congestion at the intersection of the Ridge Pike and Rt. 29 (Main Street at First and Second Avenue). The intersection requires Rt. 29 traffic to turn onto the Ridge Pike for a very short distance, and then off again. This double-turn movement has given the intersection the nickname the Collegeville Dogleg.

Beginning in 1997 the Borough began securing rights-of-way and funding for engineering costs to realign the intersection. Engineering studies were performed by Traffic Planning and Design (TPD) who provided nine alternative alignments at four public meetings. Collegeville Borough Council choose Alternative 9.

According to TPD's web site, Alternative 9 "realigned the intersections in order to give priority to the heavily traveled movements and minimized the right-of-way acquisition by converting the southbound 1st Avenue right turn movement to a thru movement onto Main Street, and converting the eastbound Main Street left turn movement to a thru movement onto northbound 1st Avenue." The thru movement was achieved through a sweeping turn seen in this diagram of Alternative 9.

Rt. 29 and Ridge Pike intersection Click to enlarge

The Rt. 29 Realignment Project has undergone two iterations since then. The key differences between the latest plan and Alternative 9 is that the sweeping turn has regained it's sharp angle, several turn lanes have been doubled, and the lanes on the Perkiomen Bridge have been reversed from two in and one out, to one in and two out.

The Key Project Facts below were provided by TPD's Rt. 29 realignment project manager Robert G. Prophet, P.E. and represent the current state of the project. To see the Realignment in greater detail, enlarge the graphic above or view the graphic and the engineering drawings in the visual aid available in the sidebar.

Key Project Facts

• Collegeville Borough completed the preliminary engineering and environmental clearance in Spring 2001.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation began final design activities in September 2001. Final design activities, including acquisition of right-of-way, are scheduled for completion in Fall 2006.
• Construction of the proposed improvements will begin in Spring 2007 and will be completed in Fall 2008.
• The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is funding the construction, right-of-way acquisition, and utility relocations. The total estimated project cost is $1.7 million.

The following improvements are to be completed as part of this project:

• Widen the intersections of Main Street / 1st Avenue and Main Street / 2nd Avenue to provide for additional turning lanes
• Reconfigure the intersection of Main Street /1st Avenue to eliminate the existing concrete mountable islands and to control driveway access to the Monroe Muffler, Perkiomen Bridge Hotel and Keyser Miller Dealership properties
• Construct concrete mountable medians on 2nd Avenue to control access to various businesses
• Re-stripe the pavement markings on the bridge over the Perkiomen Creek to allow for two lanes exiting Collegeville Borough and one lane entering Collegeville Borourgh
• Re-stripe the pavement markings at the intersection of Germantown Pike and Ridge Pike
• Coordinate the traffic signals at the following four (4) intersections:
  

• Main Street and 1st Avenue
• Main Street and 2nd Avenue
• Main Street and 3rd Avenue
• Germantown Pike and Ridge Pike (Lower Providence Township)