Schuylkill River Trail section closes for construction of pedestrian bridge over Route 724Span will cross Route 724
The Schuylkill River Trail at Monocacy Crossing in Union Township will be closed beginning Feb. 1 for the construction of the longawaited $1.15 million pedestrian bridge over Route 724.
The trail will be closed between the trail access across from the Fork & Ale restaurant and about 600 feet east of the bridge construction site. Construction is expected to last until August. Schuylkill River Greenways said it will update the public if the trail closure area changes at any time.
Some of the trail east and west of the bridge site will remain closed throughout the project since heavy construction vehicles are being used to transport materials. The truck traffic will result in the trail surface being damaged and unsafe for users.
The contractor, Susquehanna Supply Co. of Pottsville, Schuylkill County, will resurface the trail after the project is complete, said Miica Patterson, communications director for Schuylkill River Greenways National Heritage Area.
The closure will also limit access from the Schuylkill River Trail to the Big Woods Trail, said Walt Hug, a Robeson Township resident who is a trail ambassador.
The bridge location, often referred to as the Monocacy Crossing, is along the Thun Section of the Schuylkill River Trail. It’s a high-traffic area with poor sight distances. To cross Route 724, trail users must descend a steep slope and ascend another slope on the opposite road bank.
Schuylkill River Greenways installed warning signs at the intersection in 2016. Those signs were paid for by Safe Crossing funds raised through the sale of Sly Fox Brewery’s SRT Ale.
The 17-foot-high span will be named the Richard P. Whittaker, M.D., Memorial Bridge. Peggy Whittaker of Lower Pottsgrove Township donated an undisclosed amount to help fund the project in honor of her late husband, Dr. Richard P. Whittaker.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources awarded $516,501 for the project. The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission provided $325,636.
The bridge will span 115 feet across Route 724. It had been planned to be completed in 2019, but the organization encountered
a shortfall of funds due to increased prices for steel. Then it was set back by the coronavirus pandemic, Patterson said.
The crossing between Shed Road and North Main Street has long been a concern, Hug said. Decades ago there was a railroad bridge over the road, but trail users now cross the road. The steep descent from the trail to the heavily traveled road makes it dangerous.
Hug said he witnessed an accident last year when a car was rear-ended as its driver slowed for a cyclist crossing the section.
Hug said the closure is an inconvenience for trail users in the area, but he looked forward to its completion.
“In the long run it’s going to be great when it’s done,” Hug said.