Residents enjoy Schuylkill River Trail after portion reopens for first time in months
Walkers, runners, and bikers had their first chance to revisit the trail on Saturday morning.
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A portion of the Schuylkill River Trail is open again for the first time since last fall after a construction project forced the city to shut it down.
A two-mile strip of the trail from Leverington Avenue in Manayunk to Shawmont has been closed since last September.
It was closed as the Philadelphia Water Department worked on the Flat Rock Dam Betterment Project, a multi-year project that's supposed to improve water quality.
Walkers, runners, and bikers had their first chance to revisit the trail on Saturday morning.
"How are you enjoying the coffee?" Cassie Wolfe asked Bill Toner while taking a walk down the trail.
"This is actually my first time coming on the trail ride, even though I've lived in Manayunk for 11 years. I figured it was time to do some exploration," Wolfe said.
That exploration has been limited since the city shut down the trail for the project as crews worked on the dam.
"That's up there where they're doing construction," said Thomas McElhaney, who lives in the area and has been following the project.
He remembers last October when an explosion at the site injured six workers.
He's glad to see the area finally reopened.
"As a matter of fact, I'm trying to see if I can make it up there today," he said. "That's my usual walk. I started doing that when I had surgery in '99."
Saturday, he joined the dozens of others taking advantage of the trail.
"It's quiet here usually. It's a flat trail, good for running," said Mary Lui from Roxborough. "Quick access to everywhere, so in case you need to go somewhere right afterward it's really close."
It's a closeness that provides serenity for those who know these paths best.
"I usually run or bike from Fairmount. The Schuylkill River Trail and Manayunk Tow Path have been my therapists for about 25 years," said Toner.
While the trail itself is reopened, work is still going on at Flat Rock Dam. That's expected to be completed sometime in the fall.
