Brackenridge section of Three Rivers Heritage Trail important for 'bigger picture'

Small but mighty.

That’s what officials are saying about the recently completed half-mile segment of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail in Brackenridge.

The path along First Avenue provides a significant amenity for the small borough, but it is an even bigger deal for the nonprofit Friends of the Riverfront.

The group is working to extend the trail out of the Allegheny Valley and into Freeport as part of the larger Erie-to-Pittsburgh efforts.

“Trails take a lot of collaboration and patience, and we are thrilled to see this vision become a reality,” said Courtney Mahronich Vita, director of trail development for Friends of the Riverfront.

“This milestone is the result of years of hard work.”

The nonprofit will join borough officials to host a grand opening ceremony at 10 a.m. Tuesday to celebrate the completion of the $450,000 project.

The borough’s portion of the 35-mile Heritage Trail runs from ATI at Mile Lock Lane to near Dreshar Stadium at the Tarentum line. It offers scenic views of the Allegheny River.

A wooden footbridge was built to span the Brackenridge water intake well near Morgan Street and connect two sections of the path. One portion travels along First Avenue, while the second part stretches through Brackenridge Memorial Park.

Several large trees that were removed are expected to be replaced, Councilman Dino Lopreiato said.

Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato said the borough’s use of an Active Allegheny grant to advance the project was money well spent.

“Allegheny County has long recognized the mobility, connectivity, economic and health benefits of trails,” Innamorato said. “We applaud Brackenridge for using its Active Allegheny grant to advance this important project and gather support from other funders for implementation.”

In total, trail construction was paid for by three grants: $100,000 from the Allegheny County Community Infrastructure and Tourism Fund, $60,400 from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, and nearly $285,000 from the Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission.

Vita said the trail provides a new spot for outdoor recreation, such as biking or walking, but it also cements the chance for connectivity, which is important for the bigger picture.

According to the Friends group, there were about 1.3 million visits to the Heritage Trail in 2023. It generated $26.5 million in total economic impact, according to a yearlong analysis by Pittsburgh-based consulting firm Fourth Economy.

The trail, in the works for nearly a decade, falls in line with a 2020 multi-municipal comprehensive plan by Brackenridge, Harrison and Tarentum. The policy targets key issues for the communities to work on, including trails, parks and recreation.

Friends of the Riverfront plans to continue to work with Tarentum and Harrison to link more sections of the trail.

The Heritage trail runs along the shores of the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers. In addition to the Erie-to-Pittsburgh Trail, it is also part of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) Trail to Washington, D.C., the Pittsburgh to Harrisburg Main Line Canal Greenway and the Industrial Heartland Trail Coalition network that connects West Virginia, Ohio, New York and Pennsylvania.