September 11th National Memorial Trail groundbreaking 'a big deal'

Ground was broken Friday for the first purpose-built section of the September 11th National Memorial Trail in Somerset County.

“With this groundbreaking today … we begin the journey to complete approximately 49 miles of additional trail opportunities here in Somerset County,” Somerset County Commissioner Gerald Walker told a crowd of project leaders and boosters gathered in the parking lot of the Great Allegheny Passage trailhead in Garrett, “which will ultimately provide a better quality of life for everyone in our area and much-appreciated tourism dollars.”

“This is a big deal — a big deal for Somerset County, a big deal for the Laurel Highlands,” added Bryan Perry, executive director of the Allegheny Trail Alliance.

The September 11th National Memorial Trail is a 1,300-mile network of roads and multi-use trails connecting the three sites where hijacked planes crashed on Sept. 11, 2001 — Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County, the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Va., and the National September 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center site in New York City.

That trail route follows pre-existing roads and trails. Friday’s ceremony marked the beginning of construction of the first section of multi-use trail built specifically for the September 11th National Memorial Trail.

The section of the trail network for which ground was broken Friday branches off at Garrett from the Pittsburgh-to-Cumberland Great Allegheny Passage, which has been incorporated into the September 11th trail route. It’s planned to be about 1.8 miles long — the first half on roads through Garrett and the second half leading north out of town along an abandoned rail line donated by CSX.

“It’s short in length,” Perry said, “but it’s a preview of what’s ahead and represents what’s possible with really determined and focused effort and the generosity of those who participated.”

The old rail alignment will be used for a trail segment connecting Garrett to Berlin, about 10 miles to the north, said Lindsay Pyle, Somerset County’s director of parks and trails. From Berlin, the designated route follows roads north for about another 10 miles until it reaches Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township.

From the memorial, the route continues north along roads into Johnstown and Cambria County.

“As the trail moves northward from Flight 93, the National Park Service has identified opportunities to connect to another site of national tragedy — Johnstown Flood National Memorial,” said Adam Shaffer, chief of interpretation at Flight 93 National Memorial, who added that the route also passes through Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site.

“We at the national parks of western Pennsylvania hope that cyclists … will take advantage of their national parks and appreciate these American stories as they use the trails. The stories are full of courage, ingenuity and resilience.”

Unveiled at the conclusion of Friday’s ceremony was a bench at the Garrett trailhead dedicated to the memory of Lori Lee Brickley, the late wife of David Brickley, past president of the September 11th National Memorial Trail Alliance and one of the people who spearheaded the creation of the trail network.

More information about the September 11th National Memorial Trail is available online at 911trail.org.