Funding will help close Lehigh Valley Gap in D&L Trail
Efforts to create a continuous walking and biking trail from the Delaware River in Lower Bucks, through the Lehigh Valley, all the way to Wilkes-Barre in northeastern Pennsylvania, are taking a huge step forward.
State and local officials gathered Thursday at Kimmett’s Lock Trailhead in Allentown to announce a $7 million investment to connect 140 miles and prepare for future expansion of the D&L Trail.
The funds will be used to close trail gaps in Catasauqua, Hanover Township, Lehigh County, and Allentown and acquire land to develop the rail trail on the west side of the Lehigh River, from the Route 329 Bridge in Northampton to the Pine Street Bridge in Catasauqua, according to Executive Director Claire Sadler of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor
Construction and land acquisition is expected to take five to eight years, finally addressing the complaints of people having to navigate multiple sections of the trail rather than a continuous single trail, she said.
State Sen. Pat Browne secured $2 million in the 2022-23 state budget. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is providing $5 million.
When the portion of the trail through Luzerne County is completed, the trail will be the longest multiuse trail in the state.
“When fully completed, the 165 miles of trail between Bristol and WilkesBarre will offer unparalleled access to the great Pennsylvania outdoors [and] will allow for our residents to experience the beautiful natural scenery unique to our state,” Browne said.
Dunn said finishing the trail is important not just for public health but for attracting residents to the communities along the trail.
“We all learned during the COVID pandemic how critical outdoor recreation was ... for health, mental health, exercise, quality of life [and the] economy,” she said. “This is the right thing to do for the Lehigh Valley, it’s the right thing to do for Pennsylvania.”
Along with Lehigh
County, the trail goes through Bucks, Carbon, Luzerne and Northampton counties, and is open to bicyclists, joggers, hikers and fishermen.
The Lehigh Valley Gap of the trail refers to the stretch along the Lehigh River between the Route 329 Bridge and the Hamilton Street Bridge.