LOWER MERION – The new extension of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail, linking the existing trail to West Philadelphia, is getting closer to a construction date later this year.
At a parks committee meeting this week, the board of commissioners approved a resolution that will enable the project to move forward later this year.
The new Parkside-Cynwyd Trail will be a paved trail along the active Cynwyd line on SEPTA’s regional rail, running from the Cynwyd station to the Bala station at City Avenue.
Township officials have said the new trail will give a direct link from the Cywnyd Trail toward Fairmont Park.
“The Bala Station Extension will further connections to the City Avenue multiuse trail network being constructed in conjunction with the redevelopment of the City Avenue District,” township officials said in a staff memo to the board of commissioners last year. “[Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission] and the City of Philadelphia are working to continue the rail with trail alignment an additional mile to connect with a separated bike lane located at Parkside and Bryn Mawr avenues near the Mann Music Center. The Parkside bike lane connects with other road bike facilities connecting to West Fairmount Park, University City and Center City. The Parkside Extension is a few years away and cannot proceed until the City Avenue bridge over the Cynwyd Line is reconstructed in the next few years.”
The other end of the Cynwyd Heritage Trial is already connected to Manayunk by the Manayunk Bridge that opened up in 2015.
The newest extension is being funded through grants of over $1 million.
In March of last year, the board passed a resolution for the original grant money of nearly $534,000 and to use up to $250,000 from the township’s recreation development fees for the project. The township also received another grant of $521,000 that will then fully fund the $1.3 million project.
Donna Heller, director of parks and recreation for Lower Merion, gave the commissioners an outline of the schedule.
“We anticipate it going out to bid sometime late spring or early summer and then shovels in the ground by late summer, early fall of 2023,” Heller said.
