City Receives Grant To Bridge Gap In Schuylkill River Trail
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A $12 million federal grant to the city will help bridge another gap in the Schuylkill River Trail, from Center City to Southwest Philadelphia.
The latest portion is known as the Christian to Crescent Connection, according to Joseph Syrnick, president of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation.
"It's going to be the last remaining gap of the Schuylkill River Trail between Center City and Bartram's Garden," Syrnick explained.
The 2,000-foot stretch connects Christian Street to 34th Street and Bartram's Garden, using an elevated track and a 750-foot-long cable-stayed bridge parallel to the east side of the river.
"It's going to have overlooks. It'll be really cool. It needs to rise up over the river, because there are some working docks there along that part of the river," said Syrnick.
Syrnick says it'll allow people to go on the trail down to Bartram's Garden but, importantly, it gives folks in Southwest Philadelphia neighborhoods, where there is a shortage of open space, the ability to get on the greenway and enjoy Center City.
The total project cost is about $36 million funded by the Commonwealth, the City of Philadelphia, and the William Penn Foundation.
Five weeks ago, another portion had a soft opening, extending the trail from the South Street Bridge to Christian Street. That segment is at the end of the Schuylkill Banks boardwalk, which extends over the river, where the trail intersects with the South Street Bridge.
The Bartram's Mile portion of the trail opened last spring.
