The 3,168-foot bridge connects to the Schuylkill River Trail, which runs 27 miles from Philadelphia to Valley Forge. (photo by Stuart Macdonald)


Massive bridge is Philadelphia’s newest trail link


By Stuart Macdonald P


hiladelphia trail enthusiasts celebrated the opening of their own “High Line” on October 30. The over - clusively pedestrian and cyclists bridge over the Schuylkill River. To many the massive bridge has always been the symbol of Manayunk, a historic community six miles north of Philadelphia’s downtown.


The Manayunk bridge is a key link in the Circuit, a 300-


mile trail network that advocates are working to complete throughout the region. On the west side of the river the bridge trail links to the Cynwyd Heritage Trail. Besides the river, the bridge also crosses a canal, a railroad, and one of the most heavily traveled freeways in the region. The historic viaduct was opened in 1918 by the Penn- sylvania Railroad. The huge concrete arches span the river and steel reverse curves on both banks give the bridge the  was acquired by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transpor- tation Authority. Rail service stopped in 1986 and the tracks were removed. According to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadel-


phia, “Two community groups, Friends of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion and Ivy Ridge Green in Roxborough/Manayunk, worked vigorously to remove vegetation and trash, demonstrating the possibility of re- storing the rail line ‘right of way’ into a multi-use trail.” 


Photo from Library of Congress, Historic American Buildings Survey 26 SPRING 2016 AmericanTrails.org


Bridge Trail was $5.76 million. The partnerships and fund- ing strategies for the complex project began in 2010 with funding for a feasibility study provided the William Penn Foundation and Pennsylvania’s Department of Conser- vation and Natural Resources. The state transportation department provided $4.5 million for the project through the Pennsylvania Community Transportation Initiative program and the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. As with other major trail projects, local businesses are


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