Manayunk Bridge rec-path project slated to commence in September

After three years, the construction of a new, bridge-based recreation path in Manayunk is finally on the horizon.

Work on the Manayunk Bridge is slated to begin in September and wrap up a year afterwards, said Kay Saykora, director of the Schuylkill River Project.

When the roughly half-mile span is completed, it’ll link Philadelphia and Montgomery County.

“It’s hard to say anything else than this is awesome,” said Skyora. “This will create a really unique loop for people to travel.”

The back story

The $4.7 project is becoming a reality thanks to a “potpourri” of funders, including PennDOT (via the City of Philadelphia), Lower Merion Township, Montgomery County, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission and the William Penn Foundation.

The Manayunk Bridge was once part of SEPTA’s regional rail system

The bridge’s existing rail bed will be replaced by a concrete path that will extend down to street level at Dupont Street, about a block away from Main Street in Manayunk.

Fencing on either side of the bridge will also be erected.