Board wants permanent one-way on Rittenhouse
TOWAMENCIN >> A damaged bridge on Rittenhouse Road in Towamencin is back open, partially, and looks likely to stay that way for quite some time.
The township’s supervisors voted ahead a permanent a oneway traffic pattern on part of that road, as staff continue to work toward long-term repairs.
“This is not the large stone bridge, closer to Old Forty Foot Road. That’s a Montgomery County bridge; this is a smaller culvert bridge, just beyond that,”
said Township Manager
Rob Ford.
The culvert in question, located between Old Forty Foot Road and the Mainland golf course, was hit by a truck during a summer rainstorm on July 18.
That truck damaged the stone siding of the culvert, so the township closed the road immediately between Old Forty Foot and Clemens Road, and reopened it oneway heading westbound last week while working with the township’s engineer
to determine what repairs are needed.
“That’s been open for about a week now, but under the township ordinance that allowed us to make that one-way, the township manager and chief of police are allowed to do that for emergencies, but it’s limited to 90 days,” Ford said.
He and police Chief Tim Dickinson said staff and the supervisors wanted the roadway opened one-way to allow at least some of the area to use the road, but have posted several signs in the area to warn drivers from going the wrong way.
“More than it being a traffic violation, it’s a safety
issue: other people are going to come over it, thinking it’s supposed to be oneway, so they’re not expecting you to come the other way,” Dickinson said.
Staff therefore asked the supervisors to vote to advertise an ordinance formally updating that portion of roadway to be oneway, which the board did unanimously. Once it is advertised, a subsequent vote will be needed to formally approve it, and Ford said staff will continue the process of evaluating a permanent fix.
“Our engineer says due to the permitting, design, and going out to bid, which is required by procurement laws, it could take 18 months to get that culvert fixed,” he said. “So a year and a half from now, we’ll look at that, and the board will decide whether or not to reopen it to two-way traffic, or if it turned out the one-way worked out well. We’ll see,” Ford said. In the meantime, Ford and Dickinson said, drivers are strongly advised to follow the signs indicating where the roadway is currently closed. Dickinson said his department has already issued several citations to drivers who have tried to go through and disobeyed those signs. “Heed the signs, and go the other way,” he said.