Part of Valley Green Road is closing for six months starting Tuesday
The $3 million project will stabilize a stream bank and build a new pedestrian bridge.
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A roughly 1,600-foot stretch of Valley Green Road will be closed for six months starting Tuesday as work begins to restore a pedestrian bridge that collapsed 10 years ago.
Friends of the Wissahickon, the nonprofit group that aids Philadelphia Parks and Recreation with the park, said the $3 million project is starting with restoration of a stream bank, followed by construction of the new bridge. It will replace a bridge that collapsed in 2014 from erosion.
The completed project will bring users to an observation platform along the 200-foot extended walkway, giving them expansive views of the park’s schist outcroppings and the historic stone Valley Green Bridge.
“This restoration project is working to improve the water quality and improve the conditions in the area,” said Friends of the Wissahickon executive director Ruffian Tittmann. “The secondary benefit is restoring safer pedestrian access. Since 2014, pedestrians have been significantly walking more on Valley Road, which is steep with turns. This is going to bring a greater stretch of off-road walkability at one of our most visited entrances.”
However, Valley Green Road and its upper lot are closed to vehicles for the project’s duration. Valley Green Inn remains open with parking available at Wises Mill Road off Henry Avenue in Roxborough.
Pedestrians and cyclists will have intermittent access to the park through Valley Green Road.
Access to the orange and white trails northbound from Valley Green Road also will be closed during construction. The closest point of access is the Hartwell Lane trailhead. Visitors already in the park can detour on Forbidden Drive from Valley Green Road to Rex Avenue.
Park users can text WISS to the friends group at 267-966-2207 to receive updates on the project. The group also has an online map of the project with closures, access points, and an FAQ.
The project is a partnership between Friends of the Wissahickon, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, and the Philadelphia Water Department. It is supported by multiple Pennsylvania agencies, as well as the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It has received support from public and private donations.