January 04, 2017
A nonprofit organization will join government officials to discuss plans for a key project that will connect two stretches of trails in Philadelphia.
The Schuylkill River Development Corporation and representatives of the city of Philadelphia, PennDOT and the Federal Highway Administration are inviting the public to an open house to discuss the Schuylkill River Swing Bridge project. The event will take place Thursday from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Bartram’s Garden.
As proposed, the SRDC will construct a fully-operating swing bridge over the Schuylkill River that will hold a trail connecting Grays Ferry Crescent to Bartram’s Mile, work is slated to begin later in 2017.
Before the project can begin construction, the city must acquire and repurpose an abandoned rail swing bridge located just south of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge. Last May, a bill was introduced in Philadelphia City Council to authorize the purchase.
If approved, construction will begin using funds from the state, the city and the FHA's Transportation Improvements Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant.
The project is one of several still in its design phase that will ultimately expand the Schuylkill River Trail to 130 miles in length and stretch across Philly, Chester County and Montgomery County.
State officials estimate that 2 million residents use the trail annually.
