Wissahickon Valley Park trail bridges near “Ten Box” to close for renovations

Four trail bridges in Wissahickon Valley Park will close at 6 a.m. on Monday, March 1, 2021 for major renovations. The bridges connect the Lincoln Drive and Forbidden Drive sections of the Wissahickon Valley Trail. This is an important link between Forbidden Drive and the Schuylkill River Trail. The bridges will closed for 12 months or more.

During construction, cyclists and others who rely on the bridges to commute should:

• Follow the posted detours (details below).
• Use alternate modes of transportation.

After over 40 years of heavy use, the trail bridges are nearing the end of their lifespan. To ensure safety, they will undergo a complete restoration and resurfacing. The project will add anti-slip surfacing to the bridges for the first time.

Parks & Rec is funding this $1.2 million dollar project. Construction will last through summer 2022. It is anticipated that the rebuilt bridges will open in mid-September of 2022. 

Parking access

Access to the Ten Box parking area ( Lincoln and Forbidden Drives) will also be limited during construction.

Trail detours

There are two detours:

1. An on-street detour connects park trailheads via city streets next to the park.
2. An off-road detour using soft-surface trails in the park.

On-road detour:

Northbound:

Connects Ridge Avenue and Wissahickon Avenue via:

• Hermit Street.
• Houghton Street.
• Walnut Lane.

Southbound:

Connects Wissahickon Avenue and Ridge Avenue via:

• Walnut Lane.
• Houghton Street.
• Hermit Street.

In-park trail detour:

• Uses rustic park trails (aka “Upper Trails”)
• Includes steep slopes and soft surfaces.
• Not recommended for road bikes or inexperienced cyclists.