Pymatuning trail, bridge project earns recognition

Keith Gushard, The Meadville Tribune, Pa.
·2 min read

Feb. 23—A trail extension project at Pymatuning State Park has earned recognition from the area chapter of the American Society of Highway Engineers (ASHE).

The project, a partnership between the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), increased the trail to more than 3 miles and preserved a historic bridge donated by Crawford County.

The Pymatuning State Park Trail Extension Project was named project of the year by the Franklin chapter of ASHE for projects with a construction budget of $3 million or less.

The $2.3 million project increased the trail's length from 1 mile to more than 3 miles. The trail now runs from Fries Road past the Spillway Overlook to Hartstown Road and continues into Linesville and terminates at South Chestnut Street on the borough's east side.

"It's really the most rewarding project I've been involved with in my time with state parks," Dan Bickel, superintendent of Pymatuning State Park, told The Meadville Tribune. "It was a good collaboration between DCNR, PennDOT, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, and Crawford County, and saved a piece of history."

A major part of the project was refurbishment and relocation of the 146-year-old Messerall Truss Bridge. The refurbished bridge is on the trail to span Linesville Creek in the borough.

The Messerall Truss Bridge was built in 1876 and it once carried Messerall Road over Pine Creek in Oil Creek Township near Titusville. However, the then-county-owned bridge was closed in 1987 due to deterioration.

In August 2020, Crawford County commissioners voted to transfer ownership of the bridge to DCNR for its reuse as part of the project.

In August 2021, the bridge was removed, disassembled, and taken to Lockhart Ironworks in Logan, Ohio, for rehabilitation. It took 3,000 hot rivets to complete the rehab project of the 23,000-pound bridge. Historic preservation regulations were followed and the bridge is still about 90 percent original content.

In September 2022, it was reassembled at its new location, put into place on the trail, and fitted with a new wooden deck. The expanded trail opened in October.

PennDOT and DCNR also worked together to create a 12-minute video focused on the partnerships and processes needed to preserve a historic bridge. The video may be viewed through the Pymatuning State Park Trail Project page at penndot.pa.gov/District1.

Keith Gushard can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at kgushard@meadvilletribune.com.