Plans underway for Schuylkill River Trail route in Frackville

Oct. 25—FRACKVILLE — Officials unveiled plans for the proposed northern terminus of the Schuylkill River Trail, which will begin in the borough and make its way downriver to Philadelphia.

Currently about two-thirds complete, the trail will be a 120-mile multiuse pathway encompassing five counties in Pennsylvania and following the course of the Schuylkill River.

"Best-case scenario (is) we could break ground within three and a half to four years," said Julia Hurle, trails director of Schuylkill River Greenways, the Pottstown-based nonprofit that manages the project.

Hurle joined other Greenways representatives Tuesday in revealing the proposed draft of its plan at a public meeting at the Frackville Elks, which was attended by about 50 people.

Hurle acknowledged that, although a four-year groundbreaking is ambitious, the nonprofit will depend on other organizations and community members to move the project forward.

According to Schuylkill River Greenways' proposed trail route, the northern trailhead will be near the Little League field at the north end of Frackville. From there, the trail will weave through the borough and through a wooded area near the state prison facility toward a state Game Commission property along Route 61 in Blythe Twp.

Hurle said the trail will create tourism and lodging opportunities and will increase the value of neighboring properties in the area.

"Many of you will know, from other trails you've been on, how bringing a trail into a community can really boost the economic life in that community — especially some of these small industrial towns that are dotted all over eastern Pennsylvania," Hurle said.

Different styles

Hurle said the trail will take on different forms based on its location and the width of an adjoining road or area. Slower, low-traffic roads will be designated "Share the Road" areas, in which cyclists must share the road with motor vehicles. Other parts of the trail will consist of separate bike lanes or will be removed from the road completely.

Hurle said the trail, which is handicap accessible, will contain no more than a "gentle" grade throughout the course of its route.

The trail will also overlap an area targeted by the borough's Lehigh Avenue streetscape revitalization project, an initiative to beautify and enhance safety on the main street from Frack to Spring streets.

Hurle said the greenways association sheds light on a "significant landscape" crucial to many periods of American history, including the Revolutionary War and the Industrial Revolution.

Therefore, she said, Frackville was an appropriate choice for the northern trailhead, given its proximity to the river's starting point and to nearby coal lands, which depended on the river for coal shipments.

Hurle said the organization will issue a feasibility study for the Frackville trail in January, after which it will acquire rights of way through easements and agreements. Next, it will look to secure grant funding for the design and engineering stages, which will cost approximately $50,000 to $90,000.

The last stage, construction, is estimated at $1 million to $1.6 million, according to Hurle. Once ground is broken, the trail will likely be completed within two months.

Other sections

While most portions of the trail in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Chester counties are complete, Schuylkill River Greenways is working on filling the routes in Berks and Schuylkill, Hurle said.

She said the organization is currently in the engineering phase of the Mill Creek section of the trail, which spans a 4.5-mile route from Saint Clair to the game commission property in Blythe Twp., immediately below the Frackville route.

As part of that trail section, crews are restoring the historic Mount Carbon bowstring truss bridge at a new site near the Coal Creek Commerce Center.

Meanwhile, in southern Schuylkill County, crews are winding down construction on the section from Hamburg to Auburn, an area known as the Auburn Gap. That phase involves connecting the newly refurbished Auburn Schuylkill River Trail Bridge to an on-grade walking trail.

A grand opening for the Auburn trail will be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 9 at the bridge.

Contact the writer: hlee@republicanherald.com; 570-628-6085