The Chester County Commissioners, in partnership with the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission (DVRPC), the Schuylkill River Greenways and the Circuit Trails Coalition, recently announced the groundbreaking on Chester County’s latest extension to the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT).
“Congratulations to Chester County’s Commissioners and staff for making this complicated and critically important trail project happen,” noted Patrick Starr, Executive Vice President, PA Environmental Council and Circuit Trails Coalition, Vice Chair. “The Schuylkill River Trail is one of the most important in Pennsylvania and is a priority of the Circuit Trails network here in the Philadelphia area. Completing gaps, like this one, improves what we refer to as ‘connectivity’ of the system and dramatically increases usage by giving through access to so many new users as well as current trail users.”
The extension (which is Phase II of the project) includes a four-mile paved trail that will connect the existing trail from Linfield Road at Schuylkill Road in East Coventry Township, to the new Route 422 Bridge crossing of the Schuylkill River at the border of Montgomery County. Phase II will also include the construction of a new trailhead parking lot at Linfield Road, and the resurfacing and paving of the trail’s existing 5.75 miles to the Phoenixville Borough line.
As noted in the county’s press release, the Schuylkill River Trail is recognized as a local, regional, and statewide transportation priority, constructed as a ‘shared use path for non-motorized modes of travel.’
The trail’s expansion supports the “Connect” goal in Landscapes3, which calls for the “development and implementation of a countywide trail network that includes expansion of the Circuit, Greater Philadelphia’s regional multiuse trail network, and connecting local trails.”
The $6-million project is funded through the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, and is being overseen by PennDOT.
When completed in Chester County, the SRT will parallel the Schuylkill River from the Route 422 Bridge at Pottstown, south to the Route 29 Bridge into Mont Clare (approximately 12 miles). Ultimately, the trail will run from Frackville in Schuylkill County, to the Delaware River in Philadelphia.
To see the official press release, visit https://www.chesco.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1237.
This trail is a good idea. We can’t just build houses on every bit of land. One can only spend so much time looking at a computer screen. Although with high definition screens and TV everything looks pretty real. No need to go outside.