Forbidden Drive To Reopen Before New Years

Forbidden Drive which is now closed under the Walnut Lane Bridge due to falling debris is expected to be reopened by the end of the year. The Streets Department and the Department of Parks and Recreation will build a temporary pedestrian shed on the Forbidden Drive to allow trail users through.

The Statement from the Streets Department:

On November 24th, the Streets Department and the Department of Parks and Recreation closed Forbidden Drive and the parallel paths that pass under the Walnut Lane Bridge. The decision was made following an inspection of Walnut Lane Bridge that indicated architectural concrete may be falling from the bridge. Streets Department inspectors have removed loose architectural concrete from several locations. Inspections did not identify any imminent structural issues. The Walnut Lane Bridge remains open to traffic. Forbidden Drive and the parallel paths that pass under the Walnut Lane Bridge remain closed until a pedestrian shed is installed to ensure safe passage beneath the bridge. The City expects to have the shed installed and the Drive reopened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic by the end of December. The Streets Department will meet with Pennsylvania Department of Transportation in the next several weeks to develop strategies to repair the bridge.

For the duration of the closure, recreational users can still use Forbidden from Lincoln Drive to the bridge or from Northwestern Ave to the bridge, but trail users will not be permitted to pass under the bridge. Those who are looking to travel “through” Forbidden Drive should seek alternate on-street routes, or consider accessing the street system at Bells Mills Road, Green Lane, or Kitchens Lane.

Stay tuned to this blog to find out when the drive will be re-opened.