Philadelphia to Use $13.7M Federal Grant to Connect Two Segments of Schuylkill River Trail
Philadelphia has received a federal grant to fund the construction of two segments of the Schuylkill River Trail, which connects a 16.8-mile path from Manayunk to Passyunk Avenue.
The city’s Department of Streets and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation will use the $13.7 million grant to build the Wissahickon Gateway Trail in Manayunk, the Passyunk Connection in Kingsessing, and Elmwood Park in Southwest Philly.
The Wissahickon Gateway Trail will consist of 2,000 feet of a multipurpose trail beginning at Lock and Main streets in Manayunk, connecting to Ridge Avenue, and picking up Kelly Drive. The trail will be open to cyclists and pedestrians.
The Passyunk Connection will extend nearly 4,500 feet from 56th Street at the perimeter of Bartram’s Garden to West Passyunk Avenue near 63rd Street. This connection will unite two large infrastructure projects on both sides of the trail: the Lower Schuylkill Biotech Campus and the Bellwether District.
In a statement shared with the Philly Voice, Chair of the Circuit Trails Patrick Starr praised the projects for significantly improving accessibility and mobility for the Southwest Philadelphia community. “By closing critical gaps like the Wissahickon Gateway Trail and Passyunk Connection, we’re creating safe, accessible pathways that connect people to jobs, housing, green spaces, and transit, as well as solving a long-standing disconnect in our region’s important commuter and recreational trail, the Schuylkill River Trail,” he said.
In addition to the expansions of the Wissahickon Gateway Trail and the Passyunk Connection, a segment connecting the 16.8-mile Schuylkill River Trail to the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail and Park is slated for completion in 2025.
When all work has been completed, the Schuylkill River Trail will extend 39 miles between Pottstown in Montgomery County and Southwest Philadelphia. The trail is part of the Circuit Trails, a 400-mile pathway that wraps around the greater Philadelphia area.
