The Montgomery County Commissioners on Tuesday officially opened the newly-restored Schuylkill River Towpath in Upper Providence Township, and in doing so filled in the last unfinished link on the River Trail in Montgomery County between Philadelphia and Phoenixville in Chester County.
Joining the commissioners at the Red Bridge spanning the canal in Port Providence were representatives from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the Schuylkill Canal Association.
Phase I of the project was completed in 2013. It involved the rebuilding of the overflow spillway, construction of the 125-foot pedestrian bridge, and the underpass for the towpath under Route 29. This portion of the project was designed by Campbell Thomas Architects and Urban Engineers and was constructed by Flyway Excavating, Inc. at a cost of $938,800.
Phase II, also performed by Flyway Excavating, Inc., included construction and restoration of the eight-foot wide gravel-soil-vegetative mix tow path trail, construction of the red bridge over the canal, bank protection and stabilization of the banks along the canal, replacement of the terminus sluice gate, and dredging of a gravel bar in the canal. The cost of Phase II was $792,013.
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