Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials working to close 'middle gap'
Oct. 15—Officials for the Westmoreland Heritage Trail are working to find a way around — or underneath as it turns out — Route 66 as they work to close a 4-mile middle gap that will create an uninterrupted hiking and biking path from Trafford to Saltsburg.
While acquiring land and easements is an ongoing challenge, the big obstacle has always been how to cross Route 66, in terms of logistics and funding.
Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Director Brandon Simpson said plans to re-excavate an old railroad tunnel and run the trail under the state-owned road is estimated to cost $2.5 million.
Simpson said the group recently had been awarded a $1 million grant from federal highway and infrastructure earmarks, along with a $200,000 matching contribution from the county.
"That will go toward design work and construction at properties where we already have agreements," Simpson said. "At this point, we're in talks to acquire 3 of the 4 miles of the gap."
Simpson said trail officials hope to leverage the federal grant and double the money.
"We've approached (the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources) to see if they are willing to match that $1.2 million," Simpson said. "We can show DCNR and PennDOT that we're acquiring land on both sides of Route 66."
Simpson said that in terms of easements and land acquisition, the challenge is how to get from the western side of the gap, in Export, to an area near the White Valley Athletic and Social Club on Delaware Street.
"That would give us access across from Wilson Road, where we'd also like to eventually create a parking lot with about 30 spaces," he said. "We know parking in Export's downtown lot is tight, so having additional parking would be a real help."
The plan is for the trail to continue toward the Spring View Court area of Murrysville, where trail officials have already secured an easement along the eastern side of the road. From there, it would turn northeast and cross under Route 66 along the southern side of Industrial Drive, if all goes to plan.
"It doesn't come along very often that we have a chance to secure
$2.5 million," Simpson said. "If the DCNR is willing to match us, and we can get started on the tunnel now, it would leave us with just the trail to construct, and we're confident we can raise the funding to do that," he said.
Trail officials also will resurface the 8.7-mile first phase of the trail in 2023, using a $250,000 DCNR grant.
Additional trail work
Near the western end of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail, officials with the Yough River Trail Council received a $100,000 grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the third phase of work along the Great Allegheny Passage.
The council is primarily responsible for the 23 miles of the GAP Trail between Layton and Connellsville.
"We finished the second phase last year, which is from the Westmoreland County line to Whitsett," said Ted Kovall, president of the Regional Trail Corporation's Yough River Trail Chapter. "That cost between $350,000 and $400,000."
Kovall said the local chapter is hoping to raise about $80,000 to put toward the third phase, "and we're hoping the Regional Trail Corp. can kick in the final $20,000."
Plans include resurfacing the trail leading down into Connellsville, cleaning out ditches, un-clogging old rail drainage pipes running under the trail and replacing them where clearing them is not possible.
"That was a big success in the Whitsett section," Kovall said. "We haven't had any washouts there for the past year or so."
Kovall said work crews will also clear the canopy on either side of the trail and overhead.
"That will make it easier for trucks to get in and out for resurfacing and maintenance, and we're looking for a grant to help fund that kind of stuff," he said. "We're also hoping to replace some of the older access gates and small bridges."
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
