102274 | Schuylkill River Swing Bridge (TIGER) (Philadelphia City)

Part of the Schuylkill River Trail and the regional trail network, ‘The Circuit,’ this project will provide a bicycle and pedestrian connection between the Kingsessing and Grays Ferry neighborhoods of Philadelphia across the Schuylkill River, allowing users to access destinations and services throughout South and Southwest Philadelphia and Center City. Completing a river crossing in the vicinity of the Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Bridge No. 1, an abandoned swing bridge set in the ‘open’ position since its closing in 1976, will connect the recently completed Grays Ferry Crescent Trail with the Bartram’s Mile Trail currently in design by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, further connecting with the East Coast Greenway and Cobbs Creek Trail through the TIGER funded Bartram’s Garden Trail and 58th Street Connector. The project will utilize portions of the abandoned bridge to construct a multi-purpose bicycle and pedestrian trail structure, replacing the main truss with a smaller, lighter movable span to maintain access for river traffic and reconstructing approach spans on both sides of the river including on-grade approaches. The crossing will also accommodate emergency vehicles. A conceptual study and initial engineering has been completed by the Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC) with funding from DVRPC’s Regional Trails Program and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation & Natural Resources (DCNR).
The Circuit is a 750-mile interconnected network of multi-use trails spanning Greater Philadelphia with Philadelphia and Camden as its hub, and is included in DVRPC’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. Circuit trails will generally meet minimum design standards (10-feet wide, paved, and separated from traffic) to reflect their intended use as the arteries of a dedicated regional non-motorized transportation system. Circuit trails located near and connecting to downtown Philadelphia are already used heavily for transportation purposes, and the implementation of the network will further encourage the surging growth of bicycle commuting in the region. At 2.3%, Philadelphia has the highest bike-to-work percentage of the 10 largest cities in the country according the 2013 American Community Survey.
A final alternative for bridge rehabilitation or replacement is determined upon federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or state Categorical Exclusion clearance.
This project has been awarded $3,265,000 in Federal TIGER grant funding which will be used for construction.