Saturday, April 14, 2007
By Larry Walsh, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Despite the access, speed and convenience of the Internet, there’s nothing quite like an old-fashioned town meeting to spread the word — and to hear it.

And trails is the word that will be under discussion at a public meeting on April 26 at The Palisades Building at 100 5th Ave. in McKeesport. The goal of the 90-minute gathering, scheduled to begin at 6 p.m., is to get more people involved in the riverfront trails in the region.

They’re part of the Great Allegheny Passage, the 150-mile system of virtually flat biking and hiking trails leading from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md. It also includes the 46-mile Montour Trail from Coraopolis to Clairton, where it leads to the main trail in McKeesport.

McKeesport Mayor James Brewster, the meeting’s host, will provide an overview of trail development, announce major trail events coming to McKeesport and ask for ideas on how to make the riverfront trails “the best they can be.”

He’ll be joined by representatives of the Mon-Yough Trail Council, the National Park Service Rivers & Trails Program, the Regional Trail Corp., Steel Valley Trail Council and the Youth Earn & Learn Program, a summer leadership project designed to connect youth to local nature and culture through art.

“We’re very excited about this meeting,” said Hannah Hardy, president of the Steel Valley Trail Council. “It’s our first one and we want to let the community in on what we’re doing.”

The council’s long-term goal is “to assure quality construction and long-term stewardship of the Steel Valley Trail — a community-driven, environmentally sensitive bicycle and pedestrian trail, accessible to all ages and all abilities, providing vital linkage through the Monongahela Valley.”

But it has been slow going, primarily because of negotiations with the owners of a number of industrial and commercial properties, such as Sandcastle in West Homestead.

Here’s a progress report culled from the council’s Web site: www.steelvalleytrail.org

Waterfront East — This section runs through the historic Pump House site. The trailhead will include parking, rest rooms, benches and bike racks.

West Mifflin to Duquesne — A section of the trail will travel for almost 2 miles along the right-of-way of U.S. Steel Corporation’s former above-ground coke gas pipeline.

Duquesne to McKeesport — The trail will enter the Duquesne site at Grant Avenue, cross the Monongahela River and follow a riverfront alignment to Locust Street in McKeesport. The Regional Industrial Development Corporation has granted a trail easement through its properties in both communities.

McKeesport to Clairton — This is a share-the-road link from the 10th Ward in McKeesport through Glassport to Clairton where it connects with the Montour Trail. The council is working with the communities and the Montour Trail Council for improved signage and lane painting.

For more information on the meeting, go to www.steelvalleytrail.org, e-mail hhardy@pecpa.org or call 412-481-9400.

The Allegheny Trail Alliance, a coalition of seven rails-to-trails organizations, can be reached at www.atatrail.org and toll-free at 1-888-282-2453.

Updates

Ohiopyle State Park — Operations manager John Hallas said almost 3,000 tons of crushed limestone surface will be spread and rolled on the trail from Ohiopyle toward the Ramcat trailhead near Confluence, a heavily used section of the trail. The work will begin in a few weeks, weather permitting.

Big Savage Tunnel — The 3,300-foot lighted tunnel opened for the season on April 6. A plaque listing the names of those who contributed to the $12.5 million renovation of the tunnel, now in the “final phase of review,” will be erected at the Deal Trailhead. The unveiling date will be provided as soon as it becomes available.

Bollman Bridge — Once the concrete supports are in place, the Bollman Bridge will be moved into position over Scratch Hill Road near the Keystone Viaduct. Meanwhile, take your time using the graded and graveled paths that go down from the trail, cross Scratch Hill Road and back up the other side.

Hot Metal Bridge — Work on the conversion of the Hot Metal Bridge for pedestrian/bike use, which began Sept. 15, is progressing. Together with a connecting span over Second Avenue, it will link the Eliza Furnace Trail with the South Side.

South Side Trail — Trail users can travel from the Baldwin Borough Trail through the South Side to Station Square, to Downtown and beyond. Because of the work at Point State Park, use the Roberto Clemente Bridge to get to the North Side.

Montour Trail — Thanks to the concerted efforts of the Montour Trail Council, all sections that were closed because of flood damage from Hurricane Ivan in 2004 are open. For more information on seven specific projects the council is working on, go to www.montourtrail.org.

(Larry Walsh can be reached at lwalsh@post-gazette.com and 412-263-1488. )