Route 23 project to detour thousands for a year

Thousands of drivers had to find another route this morning as major work began on a busy stretch of Route 23 in West Conshohocken.

A $4.8 million project has closed the road, also known as Front Street there, for an estimated 14 months between Swedeland (Route 320) and Balligomingo Roads.

"We're trying to make it a smoother transition from Balligomingo to Route 23," said PennDOT spokesman Charles Metzger.

The way Balligomingo sharply angled into Route 23 forced drivers on eastbound Route 23 to stop, and made some turns illegal. The new T-shaped intersection should be safer and more convenient, PennDOT said.

Nearly 20,000 motorists used the intersection daily, but will now have to use alternative routes, such as Swedeland and Matsonford Roads.

The project entails building a new bridge on Route 23 over Gulph Creek and reconstructing about 1,000 feet of Route 23 and 600 feet of Balligomingo Road.