[BIKE] Chester County Moves Forward on Schuylkill River Trail

[John Boyle]

The Daily Local - Chester County moves forward on Schuylkill River Trail: Chester County officials plan to hire an engineering firm this summer to begin designing a new segment of the Schuylkill River Trail, which will pass through four northern townships. Design and construction of the 14.56-mile trail is expected to cost more than $1.3 million. Mikowychok said much of the cost will be covered by state and federal agencies. The trail will begin at Stowe on the Montgomery/Berks County border, traveling east through Lower and West Pottsgrove and Pottstown. It will then cross over the Schuylkill River, travel through North and East Coventry, East Vincent, Spring City and East Pikeland and end at Cromby near the Phoenixville line. The trail will be a public-accessible biking and hiking trail for recreational, fitness, tourism and commuting purposes. It will have an asphalt-paved surface with an average maximum width of 12 feet and four-foot grass road shoulders. "This trail will provide connections to existing trails that are almost staggering to the mind as far as where people can go," Mikowychok said. A public hearing will be held before construction begins. Mikowychok said many people have supported the project, but he expects that there will be some residents against it. The Schuylkill River Trail is an 11.5-mile-long multiuse trail running from Philadelphia to Valley Forge National Historical Park. ©Daily Local News 2004