Sullivan’s Trail Bridge wins award
KING OF PRUSSIA >> The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation is the winner of the 2017 Transportation Award from the King of Prussia District for Sullivan’s Bridge, the new four-span, bicycle and pedestrian trail bridge spanning the Schuylkill River in Valley Forge National Historical Park.
“We are honored to receive this distinguished award recognizing the new multi-use Sullivan’s Trail Bridge and its versatile enhancement to Valley Forge National Historical Park and the region’s Circuit Trail network,” PennDOT District 6 Executive Kenneth M. McClain said. The National Park Service, a key stakeholder and owner of Sullivan’s Bridge, was also recognized with an award for the project. Named for Major General John Sullivan, the officer who was charged by General George Washington with building a bridge across the Schuylkill River during the 1777-78 Valley Forge winter encampment of the Continental Army, the concrete, bicycle-andpedestrian-trail bridge is 14 feet wide and 604 feet long.
The bridge features an observation area where trail users can stop midway to view the Schuylkill River and Valley Forge National Park. Construction began in March 2014 and was completed in August 2016.
“The addition of Sullivan’s Bridge provides residents, employees and visitors of Valley Forge/King of Prussia with safe recreational opportunities that can be utilized year-round,” said King of Prussia District Executive Director Eric Goldstein. Engineering design of the Sullivan’s Bridge project was managed under a local agreement between PennDOT and the Upper Merion Transportation Authority, in close coordination with Upper Merion Township, West Norriton Township and the National Park Service.
PennDOT will transfer ownership of the right-ofway and bridges built under this project to Upper Merion Township and West Norriton Township. Under a Memorandum of Agreement, the National Park Service will own and maintain Sullivan’s Bridge and the adjacent bridge over Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. West Norriton Township will own South Trooper Road where it’s open to vehicular traffic north of the Schuylkill River and the South Trooper Road bridge over the Schuylkill River Trail. Sullivan’s Bridge is part of the Schuylkill River Crossing Complex of transportation improvement projects that are designed to enhance multi-modal travel on U.S. 422 between the Route 363 (Trooper Road) and Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) interchanges.
In addition to Sullivan’s Bridge, the improvements include the $97 million project currently under construction to rebuild U.S. 422 between the two interchanges and build new, wider bridges over the Schuylkill River, Schuylkill River Trail, South Trooper Road and Norfolk Southern railroad tracks; the recent opening of two additional ramps built to complete the U.S. 422/Route 363 (Trooper Road) Interchange; and the relocation of North Gulph Road at Route 23 (Valley Forge Road) in VFNHP, which is expected to move to construction in 2019.
For more details on improvements being made along the 422 Corridor, visit w w w.422improvements.com.