MontCo Starts Work to Connect Two Counties’ Trails
A portion of the Schuylkill River Trail (at top) that runs between Pottstown and Lower Pottsgrove
NORRISTOWN PA – With completion Friday (Sept. 10, 2021) of an official ground-breaking by Montgomery County commissioners, construction is expected to get under way soon on a 3.8-mile extension of the existing Chester Valley Trail – which currently ends in King of Prussia – to the popular Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown.
The project is expected to be finished in October 2022 at a cost of more than $17 million.
The trail extension includes installation of two pedestrian bridges at South Gulph Road and Henderson Road. It also will enhance two other bridges for increased bicycle and pedestrian use, and additionally involves renovation of what county officials called “a historic freight station building” at the Norristown intersection of the two trails.
Trail use across Montgomery County climbed significantly during the past year, board Chair Dr. Valerie Arkoosh said. She predicted closing the gap between King of Prussia and Norristown “will literally transform the ability to recreate and commute between Chester County and points throughout Montgomery County.”
The extension and other future enhancements also will broaden the range of trail users, board Vice Chair Kenneth Lawrence Jr. suggested. Residents in “more urbanized portions of the county, such as Pottstown and Norristown,” will benefit as the county pursues “ways to encourage all of our communities and residents to explore and enjoy these incredible assets.”
Photo by the Montgomery County Planning Commission
