Sweltering but Successful Manayunk Bridge Design Meeting

photo by Annie Scott, Schuylkill Project

If it's not a snowstorm, it's a freakin' heat wave in early June that rivaled an summer afternoon in the deep south...That's what the organizers faced last night for the kickoff public meeting on how to design the trail on top of the Manayunk Bridge.  Thankfully,  a rainstorm broke the heat and we didn't melt in the minimally air conditioned basement of the Northern Lights Community Center.

The Manayunk Bridge, a veritable icon in NW Philadelphia, once carried a rail line that connected Lower Merion (Montgomery County) to Manayunk/Roxborough (Philadelphia County).  This bridge, in combination with the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, the Pencoyd section, and the Ivy Ridge trail will provide a paved bike/ped route that parallels the Canal Tow Path and connects to the Schuylkill River Trail.  It's one of the nine segments that is part of the Complete the Trail Campaign.  

The Bridge crosses an active Norfolk-Southern freight line, I-76, the Schuylkill River and the Norristown SEPTA line. The same inactive line within Lower Merion is being converted into the Cynwyd Heritage Trail in Lower Merion this summer and fall. The Manayunk Bridge and Ivy Ridge Trail (the section of rail line between the Bridge and the Ivy Ridge Station) are being designed by Whitman, Requard & Associates.  Last night's meeting was to scope out the design of the Bridge only (the Ivy Ridge section will be worked on a little later).  There is a tight timeline because the City of Philadelphia was successful in securing $1.3 million in federal transportation funds to build the trail on the Bridge, but the funds must be "obligated" by next summer.

Those of us in attendance were treated to the power point below and the consultants answered a lot of questions from the audience.  In summary, this is the time for you to weigh in about what you want to out of this new section of trail.  Send your ideas directly to Ashley   
june9th2011