August 1999: A new bridge over Glass Hill Road in Cecil Twp allows trail users for the first time to go west from Cecil Park to Rt. 980 at Venice. Trail volunteers recently completed decking the bridge as shown here. The trail surface is unfinished but is fine for walkers and fat-tire bikes.
June 1999: A ribbon cutting ceremony concluded the dedication of the Panhandle Trail, Pennsylvania's 100th rail-trail, on June 5, 1999. The new trail crosses the Montour Trail at Primrose in Washington County, PA (it passes under the McDonald Trestle). It will eventually connect Weirton, WV and Walker's Mill near Carnegie, PA. Pictured below: official opening of the Panhandle Trail by Washington County Commissioners Burns, Irey and Fergus.
May 1999: Construction has begun on a segment of the Mon-Fayette toll road along Peters Creek where South Park and Jefferson Boro meet. The new freeway will permanently close Snowden Road south of the tunnel under the W&LE railroad. To provide for traffic, the PA Turnpike Commission is constructing a new connecting road from Snowden Road to Gill Hall Road.
As this new road lies over the old rail bed that was the route of the Montour Trail here, the new connecting road will include a separate paved bicycle trail alongside the auto road. This newest portion of the Montour Trail should be open by Fall. Watch this space for a construction photo!
May 1999: A new layer of surfacing material has been laid on the Cecil portion of the Trail west from Hendersonville to the McConnell parking lot, covering the original surface which was troublesome from the coarse gravel weathering out onto the surface. The Trail Council purchased the limestone sand and Cecil Township forces graciously spread and compacted it for us. Enjoy!
May 1999: At last the long-awaited drinking fountain at Enlow Ballfield (about Mile 7.6) is operational and dispensing refreshing aqua pura to thirsty trail users. Thanks go to the Findlay Water Authority.
May 1999: The reconstruction of the I-79 bridges over the trail in Cecil Township is complete and the Trail is fully open through the area.
November 1998: A contract was awarded in September for construction of trail between Clifton Road and the County Line south of Limestone Drive. This work is now complete. This 0.9 mile segment of new trail was dedicated on October 31, and is now open for your enjoyment! The Municipality of Bethel Park appropriated $10,000 in recreation funds toward this improvement, and the Allegheny County Regional Asset District contributed major funding.
September 1998: The contract work of building 1.2 miles of trail between Triphammer Road and Brownsville Road is now complete. Volunteers interested in helping to install gates and fences may contact Joe Rudolph at 412-653-4900. Asphalt paving of the access road and parking lots has just been completed. Funding for this project comes from the Allegheny Regional Asset District, PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and private sources.
On November 19, 1997, the Montour Trail Council acquired a two mile strip of land between Large (Pa Rt 51) and Clairton. This represented the longest remaining portion of the Montour Trail not yet under the MTCs control. This land was formerly a part of the Pennsylvania Railroad's Peters Creek Branch, and was sold to the Dick Corporation when the line was abandoned. The MTC received the $24,000 purchase funds from the state Keystone Grant program and from the Allegheny County Regional Asset District. Grant proposals for 1998 construction covering about half the estimated construction cost have been approved, and both the boroughs of Clairton and Jefferson have endorsed the project.
1997 Members and friends of the Montour Trail Council in Bethel Park have formed our newest FRIENDS OF THE TRAIL chapter for Bethel Park. They will assist in building and maintaining the Bethel Park spur of the Montour Trail which will run from the northern terminus of the Arrowhead Trail (Peters Township) to Logan Road in Bethel Park. They meet the first Tuesday of each month at 7:30 in the Bethel Municipal Bldg. Call Peter Kohnke for more information at 854-1835.