Last summer, work began on the construction of a 680-foot connector bridge between Schuylkill River Park and the Schuylkill River Trail. Construction of this bridge was necessary to resolve a law suit between the City of Philadelphia and CSX, the company that owns the rail line that separates much of Center City West from direct access to the river. As a side effect of this $6M project that was funded mostly by federal stimulus money, the Friends of Schuylkill River Park were to receive several improvements to their park, including new landscaping, and stellar new dog parks. For about a year and a half, neighbors have had to make do with their park being an active construction site. But no longer!

Site plan of the park

Over the weekend, the new connector bridge was officially dedicated at a ribbon…

Back in July, when the birds were chirping, the sun was shining, and we were all dreaming of a Phillies parade, we wrote about the commencement of construction on the Schuylkill River Park Connector bridge. Amazing how much progress takes place when you ignore a massive public works project for several months. We’re happy to report that things seem to be moving along nicely at the site, with some parts of the bridge already visible, and dog owners finding a way to live with a smaller dog run.

Happy pooches. And a connector bridge, in the background.

A closer look, over by the community garden

Rendering of what it'll look like, eventually

And just for kicks, here's a site plan

We don’t know…

After learning about the Schuylkill River Parks Connector Bridge and the At-Grade Crossing at Race and Locust Streets, we were left to wonder why these related projects were not kick-started sooner for convenience and pedestrian safety.

The pedestrian bridge connecting Schuylkill River Park to Schuylkill Banks will span across the CSX tracks about 500 feet south of Locust Street and have ADA-compatible ramps leading up to it on both sides. “The bridge is being built to provide a safe crossing for the railroad tracks even if the nearby Locust Street grade crossing is closed,” explains Danielle Gray of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation. Designed by HNTB, the bridge is under contract to SRDC and the Philadelphia Streets Department is overseeing construction on this project, which will begin in July and last about 18…