New Bike/Pedestrian Bridge Connecting SRT to Valley Forge Opens Tomorrow

We see a nice, long, bridge-filled bike ride in your near future. 

Sullivan's Bridge

Sullivan’s Bridge

Good news, cyclists, runners and flat-out trail lovers of Philly: The new Sullivan’s Bridge, a 14-foot-wide, 602-foot-long bike-and-pedestrian bridge that crosses the Schuylkill, connecting the Schuylkill River Trail by Betzwood Park to the trails of Valley Forge National Historical Park, opens tomorrow.

Along with connecting the Schuylkill River Trail and trails within Valley Forge, the bridge also serves as a direct link between Chester and Montgomery Counties. For years, after Betzwood Bridge was closed in 1991, cyclists and pedestrians who wanted to cross the Schuylkill River in that area had to brave a four-foot-wide temporary boardwalk on the Route 422 highway bridge. Yeah — not ideal. As one cyclist told Philly.com this year, “Some of the nails have come out. Some of the wood is loose. When you’re on that bridge, I would not suggest looking down.” Eek.

As the press release for the bridge opening says, “In addition to providing a permanent trail connection, the completion of Sullivan’s Bridge will improve recreational opportunities, expand bicycle commuter options, improve visitor access to Valley Forge National Historical Park and promote greener travel patterns. The installation of Sullivan’s Bridge creates a critical link in the Circuit Trails, a vast regional trail network composed of hundreds of miles of interconnected trails in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey.”

Needless to say, runners and cyclists have some serious celebrating to do. The official ribbon cutting ceremony will be held tomorrow, August 19th at 10:30 a.m. You can find more info here. And note: There are also a few scheduled group bike rides to the ceremony. More info on those here.

Now, raise your hand if your weekend plans now include one nice, long, bridge-filled bike ride. Thought so.

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