BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

here's a longshot:

i think they'll develop the corridor between the railroad and keystone metals by retaining the elevated approach (right side of the pink line) to the stone abutment (left side of the pink line), then convey travelers off the abutment via a set of switchback ramps.

As I recollect from conversations of yore, setback off the active railway was an issue to overcome.

There is something going on the railroad side. I assume that it's work on the trail. If you're not familiar with the area, at lot has changed: all of the vegetation (including trees) has been removed from the embankment and they've started to grade it. I'ts always possible something else is going in there, but the trail extension seems like the obvious thing. I'm pretty sure it will become apparent any day now.



A view from the west:

I always felt that running the trail next to the river would have been the nicest, but judging from your photo the junk yard has an access to the river; I doubt they would compromise it. (Same goes for Sandcastle).

Pity we don't seem to have anyone involved with the SVT on the board who knows what's going on.

There geeks here want to see engineer's drawings and alignment details rather than having to guess and speculate.

TRIB says pavement straight through Sandcastle, then a retaining wall through Keystone Metals - nothing about traversing along the river adjacent to Keystone.

when is the connection supposed to be complete again? and once this is done, we can ride the south side trail to GAP and onward, right? sometimes im confused because i just remember the old information.

11/11/11, if you have $3,000,000 to toss their way. If not, ??/??/??

And yes, it will connect Southside with DC.

in my imagination, this is so much easier than it is. so there is still a gap between the end of s. side trail and sandcastle though? like where the railroad tracks are, where you are supposed to get on 837 or whatever?

I have not heard any timeline. I didn't even know that work had or was going to start until someone posted here that they had been digging between the end of the Baldwin trail and Sandcastle.

When it is done, it WILL be a relatively straight shot through the South Side Trail, Sandcastle, the Waterfront, and so on. When that will be, I don't know. I SUSPECT that nothing will be done with the Sandcastle section until after they close up for the season after Labor Day.

Yes, the gap is still there. 8/10 of a mile, I believe, between the end of the Baldwin Trail and the Waterfront sidewalks.

i guess... my question is: where are the most recently updated maps for this ?

Linda McKenna Boxx of the Allegheny Trail Alliance is quoted in the Trib article Sloaps linked to, saying the Sandcastle/Keystone section is now expected to open in Spring 2012. That's assuming they can get the funding.

I SUSPECT that nothing will be done with the Sandcastle section until after they close up for the season after Labor Day.

That's what they've said in previous announcements. No Sandcastle work while the park's open. Seems reasonable given the tight space there.

I posted this link to the Steel Valley Trail Council's map in another thread. It shows the current state of things.

Interesting, in the future Duck Hollow will connect to the Jail Trail. That would be pretty swell.

I read somewhere UPMC purchased a bunch of the land right over that way for some new vaccine research facility.

Duck Hollow to the Jail Trail FTW! My commute would have less than 2 mile of actual roads, I think.

Has anyone cycled over Rankin since the construction ended? Looks like there is plenty of room, but the traffic goes so fast....

I've ridden it, lots of space. I think it is now one of the better bridges. But that's a low bar isn't it.

The roads on either side of it are still mediocre.

It'd be nice to have a better connection to the trail from the Rankin bridge than what you have to do now. I guess the Rankin Hot Metal bridge is supposed to improve it, but that's not a great fix for those of us who ride on roads too.

I may not have $3M, but I still have a couple shovels and free time I will gladly donate to this cause. Sigh, wish it worked that way.

Slightly OT: What condition is the rankin hot metal bridge in, as well as the approaching lines on both sides, especially post-construction? Could non law-abiding citizens potentially make it up there…?

"What condition is the rankin hot metal bridge"

I have heard rumors of people easily crossing the bridge on foot. From what I have seen (not crossing the bridge) it should be easily adapted to trail use. At least, as easy as it was to deck the Riverton bridge between McKeesport and Duquesne.

Duck Hollow to the Eliza Furnace Trail would instantly become my primary commute as well.

the rankin hot metal bridge is an easy on from both sides, and looks to be in pretty good condition.

more ->

http://bit.ly/rankinhotmetal

Well, I know what I would never even think about doing next weekend. Thanks for the info!

i wonder if we'll ever not go check out the furnace, like we talked about. or didn't?

Definitely not doing this. I never get out there anyway.

the carrie furnace end of the bridge has a fence up with barbed wire along the top...there are ways around but it's a little difficult. when I said it's an easy on and off from both sides, I was trying to say it would be easy once opened.

I just was down at the scrap metal section of the trail to check out if there were was any new progress. The wall in this picture is partially torn down and dirt was graded up to the top. The new section of trail will be on top of the "wall/hill".