Schuylkill River Trail expands to Grays Ferry with 650-foot cable bridge

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A new section of the Schuylkill River Trail, known as Christian to Crescent, will open this week.

The $48 million project, a decade in the making, will ultimately connect Center City with the Grays Ferry neighborhood in South Philadelphia.

The trail officially opens May 17 with a ribbon cutting ceremony and family activities. However, trail users can get a sneak peek Thursday, May 15 during a fundraiser.

The new half-mile segment stretches between Christian Street and Grays Ferry Crescent, creating access to an area that industry and infrastructure had previously cut off.

The trail takes walkers and bikers on a winding path along the Schuylkill River, and under I-76. It features a 650-foot white cable-stayed bridge with two tall towers — where walkers and bikers can enjoy views of the Schuylkill River. At night, the bridge will light up the sky.

Building a bridge was the only way to connect the trail to the area, because of a freight line along the river.

“This is a relatively short piece of trail, but a really mighty trail,” said Daniel Paschall, the East Coast Greenway Alliance’s Mid-Atlantic manager.

The new trail section is part of the national East Coast Greenway, which aims to create a 3,000-mile walking and biking path from Maine to Florida.

“[The bridge] is physically massive,” Paschall said. “I think it serves to elevate biking and pedestrian infrastructure to a new level. That infrastructure for the human scale, for people, not just vehicles, is really powerful and sets a new bar for the city, and really, walking and biking in cities across the country.”

City officials say it’s the first bridge of its kind in the state of Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia residents are already buzzing about the Schuylkill River Trail’s latest addition, said Tyler Barile, assistant chief construction engineer at Philadelphia’s Streets Department.

“Nine times out of 10, you’ll run into somebody who’s resting before their turnaround point on their normal recreation route and asking about the project, ‘When is it going to be open? I can’t wait,’” Barile said.

One resident said she’s so excited about the trail, she’s bringing champagne and bagels to opening day, he said.

In addition to creating recreational opportunities, the expansion means people without a car will be able to commute to Center City.

“If you live in the neighborhoods, using the trail is the most direct way to get to Center City,” said Joseph Syrnick, president and CEO of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation. “It’s also the least expensive way. You can walk or ride a bike, and you can get there faster than you can get there by car or by using conventional public transportation.”