4 bridges in Wissahickon Valley Park to be closed at least through fall for renovation
Philadelphia Parks & Recreation says starting March 1, Wissahickon Valley Park’s four bike bridges used by cyclists and hikers will close for a major renovation project for nine months.
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Four widely used, successive bridges in Wissahickon Valley Park will close next month for a major renovation project lasting at least into fall, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation announced Monday.
As a result, the trail connecting Forbidden Drive to Ridge Avenue will also be closed during the park’s most popular times of year.
The park became busier than usual during the pandemic with people seeking an outdoor escape. Now, those cyclists and pedestrians will have to take a detour up “steep slopes and soft surfaces” to avoid city streets, according to the project map.
Parks & Recreation said the $1.2 million project is needed because the trail bridges connecting the northwest section of the city with Kelly Drive and the Schuylkill River Trail are at the end of their lifespan. As a result, the bridges will get a restoration and a new anti-slip surface for the first time.
“This year our trails have become more popular than ever before,” Kathryn Ott Lovell, Parks & Recreation commissioner, said in the announcement. “Philadelphia’s 184 miles of trails have been there for residents during the pandemic, and we are committed to ensuring they remain safe, well maintained, and accessible to all. This short-term closure will deliver long-term enjoyment for generations of commuters, hikers, and cyclists.”
The closure starts at 6 a.m. on March 1. The city has posted a detour route online, which will also be posted along the trail.
The length of all four combined bridges is 450 feet. All are steel with wooden decking.
The work is expected to last nine months to a year. In addition to the bridge closures, access to the “Ten Box” parking lot at Forbidden and Lincoln Drives will be restricted.
About 7,000 pedestrians and 5,600 cyclists used the trail containing the bridges in January, according to data from the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.