The City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, Collaborating Partners, State Officials and Community Joined to Celebrate the Opening of the Long-Awaited Schuylkill River Trail Connector Bridge

The half mile of new trail connecting the Grays Ferry Crescent Trail with the Schuylkill River Trail officially opened to the public today with a community celebration of music, activities, and outdoor fun

 

PHILADELPHIA – Today, the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Streets, in partnership with the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC), officially opened the “Christian to Crescent Connector,” extending one of Philadelphia’s most popular and utilized trails across the river.

Streets Commissioner Kristin Del Rossi and Parks and Recreation Commissioner Susan Slawson were joined by City Council President Kenyatta Johnson, State Senator Anthony H. Williams, State Senator Nikil Saval, State Representative and Appropriations Chairman Jordan A. Harris, House Speaker Joanna McClinton, PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll, PADCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, other officials from the State and City, SRDC and the William Penn Foundation to kick off the community day celebration. The event followed SRDC’s official ribbon cutting ceremony that opened the trail to hundreds of people waiting to walk, run and bike the trail connector for the first time.

The new trail section connects communities and expands access to safe recreational space and healthy active transportation to residents in South and Southwest Philadelphia. This $48-million project features 1,250 feet of on-structure trail including raised platforms and a 650-foot cable-stayed bridge span – the first of its kind in the state and recognized by engineers for its unique design.

“For more than a decade of planning and three years of construction, hundreds of workers across dozens of trades and professions brought their skills to this project to make it a reality today,” said Mayor Charelle L. Parker. “When I say our City government provides services that you can see, touch and feel – this is a great example of what I mean. And we couldn’t have done it without the intergovernmental collaboration and support of the state senators, representatives, and department leaders who were part of our celebration.”

Multiple sources provided funding for this $48-million construction project:

  • US Department of Transportation
  • Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
  • Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
  • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection
  • Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
  • Pennsylvania Office of the Budget
  • Philadelphia Department of Commerce
  • William Penn Foundation

“We’re engineering solutions and building new public spaces to connect communities across Philadelphia and the region,” said Kristin Del Rossi, City of Philadelphia Department of Streets Commissioner. “This project is a testament to the area’s first-class infrastructure industry and the team assembled to deliver this unique trail connector – the first of its kind in the state. I am incredibly proud of our Streets Department staff who were the project managers on this mammoth project.”

“The Christian to Crescent Trail Connector improves accessibility for South and Southwest Philadelphia communities. PennDOT is proud to be involved in this impressive project, collaborating closely with the city, SRDC, FHWA, and elected officials,” said PennDOT Secretary Mike Carroll. “The 650-foot cable-stayed bridge is the first of its kind in Pennsylvania and it is unique, beautiful, and well-crafted. This trail serves as a recreational area and an important transportation corridor for the community.”

Oversight, management, and inspection of the project was performed by the City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Urban Engineers. Trail and bridge structure designed by AECOM, 34th Street bridge replacement designed by Pennoni, and construction completed by PKF-Mark III Inc.

This new trail section is also a vital link in the long-term trail network plans locally, regionally, and even nationally. This .5-mile project connects what was previously a critical gap along the Schuylkill River. Finding a solution for this section was vital to furthering the regional Circuit Trails network as well as connecting the national East Coast Greenway through Philadelphia.

Project Facts

  • 2,800 feet+ of new trail, approximately .5 mile.
  • The new section, plus the existing Crescent Park trail, adds 1 total mile to the Schuylkill River Trail.
  • 1,250 feet of the new trail is on-structure, 650 feet is the main cable-stayed span.
  • The cable-stayed design is a woven-harp configuration, first of its kind in PA.
  • The towers are 165 feet in height measuring from the surface of the water. Below the water they continue 65 feet down to bedrock.
  • $48-million project funded by Federal, State, Local, and Non-profit sources.
  • 3 years to construct, over a decade to plan, engineer, and fund.
  • Part of the regional Circuit Trails network and the national East Coast Greenway.
  • New lighting, benches, trash cans, and newly planted trees and flowering perennials.
  • New accessible trail entrance at 34th Street; Replacement of the 34th Street overpass with a precast concrete arch creating a trail tunnel connection to Grays Ferry Crescent.

 

Engineering and Construction Details

  • The 34th Street overpass was removed and replaced with a precast arch as part of this project.
  • A staged construction plan allowed the project team to build while keeping 34th Street open to traffic. • The bridge deck and lid slab of the main cable-stayed span are reinforced with stainless-steel rebar to provide more longevity and require less maintenance.
  • Each cable was specified to hold a tensile load of 270 thousand pounds, individually able to hold the weight of one pre-cast U-Beam. When tested, the cables broke at 1.05million pounds.
  • Approach Span Piers held up by 6-foot-wide caissons socketed into bedrock approximately 65 feet below waterline. Main Span Tower Foundations each rest on nine of the same caissons.
  • Not only is the main span post-tensioned in the deck, but vertical post-tensioning was implemented in the cable-stay towers.

 

Collaboration and Partnerships

  • Oversight, management, and inspection of the project was performed by the City of Philadelphia Department of Streets, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, and Urban Engineers.
  • Trail and bridge structure designed by AECOM; 34th Street bridge replacement designed by Pennoni.
  • Funding for this $48-million construction project was provided by: US Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Office of the Budget, Philadelphia Department of Commerce, and the William Penn Foundation.

 

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