Montour Trail-Letter

by Paul McKeown

Montour Trail volunteers have been very busy in the month of April. A crew removed trees that were shading the structural steel of the Library Trestle in South Park Township. The trees were removed in an effort to keep the bridge drier and thereby slow down corrosion. Engineers are currently designing a concrete deck and railings for installation on this 500-foot-long trestle crossing Route 88 and the Port Authority Transit tracks. On existing Montour Trail about a half-mile east of the Library Trestle, Eagle Scout candidate, Neil Stapley built and installed several park benches. The bench design chosen by Mr. Stapley features lumber that is thicker than on other similar benches to improve durability of the design.

The Friends of the Montour Trail in Bethel Park have been preparing to have their two-mile trail segment extend south another .7 miles to the Arrowhead Trail in Peters Township. They have been cutting back brush and cleaning up debris in anticipation of construction this fall. Another crew performed tree cutting between Large and Clairton where trail construction is expected to begin in a few months. The latter area is more overgrown than most other Montour Trail property because this former Pennsylvania Railroad right-of-way was abandoned more than 20 years ago.

If you would like to volunteer with the construction of Montour Trail connecting to the Arrowhead Trail in Peters Township, please contact Bob O'Connell at 412-833-6259. Those interested in trail-building activities in South Park Township and in Jefferson Hills, please call Paul McKeown at 412-835-6692 or send him an email at mckeownp@libcom.com. McKeown is also looking for skilled volunteers such as engineers, attorneys, marketing professionals, and computer literate people. Additional information about the Montour Trail can be found at www.montourtrail.org.