Great Allegheny Passage Trail Status - JULY 2008

The Great Allegheny Passage is now 132 miles complete and continuous from Cumberland, MD to McKeesport, PA.

Ohiopyle State Park

• The contractor for the Ramcat Bridge (2 miles north of Confluence, MM 64) replacement project could mobilize as soon as August 18th, 2008.  This $300,000 total replacement project should take approximately 4 weeks to complete.  The Ramcat access (Middle Youghiogheny Launch) will be closed to vehicular access throughout the duration of the project.  A temporary construction detour will be provided for pedestrian and bike traffic directly upstream of the project site.  Bicyclist will be required to dismount and walk bikes across the short detour.  While weather conditions should be optimal in August, timing is not but the start of construction could slide back as late as mid-October (better for everyone doing business on the trail and river).
• The Jonathan Run Culvert (MM 75) is under design now and is funded for FY09: construction in late summer/early fall of 2009.  This very large culvert is in serious condition with an engineering estimate of $600,000 +.  The trail will remain open during this project except for short periods (less than 1 hour) for mobilization and/or equipment movement.  Like the last culvert replacement in 2006, bicyclist will be required to walk their bikes through the designated construction area.
• A gated overnight parking lot for multi-day trips on the Great Allegheny Passage and the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail will open next week in Ohiopyle State Park.  Users of this lot, at the back end of the Ferncliff Parking Lot (MM 72), will be required to go to the main park office on Dinnerbell Road to get a car pass and the combination to the lock on the gate.  Use of the lot is free for now but may change to a fee required lot after Ferncliff parking lot is rehabilitated (hopefully sometime around 2010).

Maryland

The Brush & Borden tunnels in Maryland are NOT lighted. 

For your safety, PLEASE WALK through these two tunnels.

Somerset County, PA

The 3,300 ft. long Big Savage Tunnel, near the Mason-Dixon Line, is open and lighted.  The tunnel will be closed for the winter on December 12, 2008 & will reopen on April 10, 2009.  

The Big Savage Tunnel Recognition Plaque is in the final phase of review.  When complete, it will be erected at the Deal Trailhead.  The unveiling date will be provided as soon as it becomes available.   This is a big undertaking, thanks for your patience!

Pinkerton Tunnel - near Markleton, remains closed with detour on abandoned rail line following the river. 

The Pinkerton Horn has recently been resurfaced and is in great shape.

Bollman Bridge is in open for use! 

Allegheny County, PA

The Hot Metal Bridge is opened for pedestrian/bike use!

Southside Trail
The long-term plan for the Southside Trail is to connect to the existing trail at the Waterfront in Homestead/West Homestead. At this point there are not construction plans because we need to work out agreements with private property owners. South Side 10-1 trail segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail is now complete. Trail users are finally able to travel from the Baldwin Borough Trail through the South Side and to Station Square, downtown Pittsburgh and beyond. Work continues on the acquisition of trail corridor on the Steel Valley Trail section.

There is no parking at the Baldwin side.

The trail is completely open from MP 0 to MP 22. At MP 22 where the trail crosses PA route 50 a temporary bridge over the stream and crosswalk is under construction. This will eliminate the current 0.5 mile road detour along busy Rte 50. Completion is expected during the 2008 cycling season.

Trail construction is underway on the section from Chartiers creek to US Rte 19 in Peters Township. Work is underway on the rehabilitation of bridges in this section. When this work is completed sometime in 2008 the gap in the Montour Trail from MP 27 to MP 31 will be eliminated except for a very short flat road section which may be eliminated during 2009.

From Route 19 to the Library Trestle the trail is complete. There are two detours in South Park along Rte 88 and Brownsville-Library road, and along Piney Fork Road. Design work is underway to reduce the length and difficulty of these detours. The trail is on road from Gill Hall Rd to Rte 51 at Large. The trail is complete from there to the terminus in Clairton.