Monroeville begins planning for Westmoreland Heritage Trail connector bridge

While it’s only a short distance from the edge of Valley Park in Monroeville to the Westmoreland Heritage Trail in neighboring Murrysville, the bridge connecting the two is still a fair distance away.

“There’s a lot that goes into it,” said Monroeville Municipal Manager Tim Little. “We have to get two permits, one from the Army Corps of Engineers and one from the (state Department of Environmental Protection).”

The project will cross Abers Creek en route to the trail, and Valley Park is also located in a floodplain.

“You can build there, but you have to meet certain requirements,” Little said.

Monroeville officials recently signed a contract with Streamline Engineering of Lower Burrell to complete a hydrology report for the project. Little said Streamline will create the land development plan as well.

“We’re proposing a plan that includes having a self-contained restroom down there, and a pavilion,” Little said. “We were thinking of some other amenities, but we have to narrow the development down to one acre of property.”

The project is expected to cost just over $485,000, half of which will come from Monroeville as part of a matching grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

Engineers from Streamline will work closely with both officials from both the Westmoreland Heritage Trail and Murrysville as the project moves forward.

Murrysville Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said so far, there has been only minor internal discussion between the groups about the project.

Trail officials will be on hand at the Saunders Station trailhead in Monroeville from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 4 for the Trail Towns Festival, talking with trail users and attendees about the project.

Valley Park is currently home to a small enclosed area for skateboarding and roller-blading.