Schuylkill River Parks Connector Bridge
As a result of an agreement negotiated between the City of Philadelphia and CSX, crossing gates will be provided at the Locust Street and Race Street at-grade access points to Schuylkill Banks. These gates will close when there is train traffic, but pedestrians will be able to open the gates once the crossing points are clear.
To improve access when these at grade crossings are closed, a pedestrian bridge will be built to span the railroad from Schuylkill Banks to Schuylkill River Park. The project included intensive community involvement in the design process. The bridge will be a 95’ long truncated arch truss structure with a 12’ wide pathway. There will be 10’ wide ADA accessible ramps on the approaches with a total of 3 overlooks. Architectural lighting and enhancements will be included in the contract.
This project will resolve the safety concerns of the City and CSX with respect to providing convenient access to the Schuylkill Banks.
The Schuylkill River Parks Connector Bridge has received federal stimulus funding through the Transportation Improvements Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program and a Transportation Enhancement Grant. This project is currently under construction and scheduled for completion in fall 2012.
Design of this pedestrian bridge was funded performed by HNTB Corporation with landscaping designed by Menke and Menke Landscape Architects.
Copies of handouts from the June 27 Community Meeting addressing this project and an open letter from Parks and Recreation Commissioner DiBerardinis regarding the use of K9 turf in the new dog parks are available below:
