A brand-new portion of the Schuylkill River Trail is set to open next month for runners, walkers, bikers and those who love the outdoors. NBC10 received a sneak peek of the extension and the new bridge that will soon connect Center City with Grays Ferry and beyond.
From Christian to Crescent
You may have noticed crews working along the Schuylkill River. They’re putting the finishing touches on a half-mile segment called “Christian to Crescent.” The $48 million project is the final link for an entirely off-road route between Center City and the Grays Ferry Crescent for both pedestrians and cyclists. It will also link portions that industry and infrastructure have cut off.
“What we’re doing here is we’re connecting Center City to the neighborhoods down in the south. South Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia,” Joseph Syrnick, President & CEO of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, told NBC10. “That’s really critical because those neighborhoods down in those areas, a lot of people do not have access to cars. Transit fare is expensive.”
Planners of the project want to encourage residents to walk or bike through the city rather than drive.
“The fastest way you’re going to get there, the most direct way, is by walking or bicycling up the trail,” Syrnick said.
The extension takes you on the same winding path as the Schuylkill River, first hugging the bank and then traveling under the busy I-76. One part of it is flat while the other is elevated. It also features a 20-foot-wide paved path.
The real showstopper, however, is a bright, white cable-stayed bridge with two towers about 270 feet in the air. At night, it will be bathed in light like the Center City skyline.
The planners behind it are thinking long term.
“What we’ve tried to do here is build a really high-quality product here," Syrnick said. "So, if you look at the railing here, these are the best stainless steel railings you can buy. Might have cost a little bit more but in the long run it should be a savings.”
While a new half-mile is a big next step, several more projects are in the works or on the drawing board. The long-term goal is to connect all 120 miles of the Schuylkill River Trail from Reading, Pennsylvania, to South Philadelphia.
The ribbon cutting ceremony for the Christian to Crescent segment is scheduled to take place on Saturday, May 17, at 10:30 a.m. on the Schuylkill River Trail at Christian Street.
