Cheswick, East Deer among municipalities working to connect trails to Three Rivers Heritage Trail

A decade-long project is making headway as officials from Allegheny County, Cheswick, East Deer and Tarentum are connecting trails to extend the 33-mile Three Rivers Heritage Trail.

Residents can explore a rough draft of the East Deer-Tarentum trail through a virtual tour on the Friends of the Riverfront website.

The tour gives an overview of the trail project and 11 points of interest. The rough draft is subject to change, as it is a reflection of results from a 2011 study conducted by Friends of the Riverfront, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council and Allegheny County, according to the website.

After viewers scroll through the tour, a survey appears asking for community members’ input.

Courtney Mahronich Vita, director of trail development, said the projects are just a small piece of the puzzle. There are plans to continue the trail’s extension through Harmar, Springdale Township and O’Hara.

She pointed out the momentum with the new Pittsburgh Brewing Co. brewery in East Deer and construction happening in Brackenridge as interest points.

“They are trying to capitalize on everything happening around them,” she said.

The Three Rivers Heritage Trail was used 2 million times last year, Vita said. The expansion of the trail could lead to more economic, recreational and transportation opportunities, she said.

“Since the pandemic, we have seen a massive demand for the trails,” Vita said.

A planning study kicked off two months ago to analyze connecting trails in Cheswick. Vita said the trail would begin at Rachel Carson Park and end at the Harmar border near Blockdale Street.

A separate survey is available for Cheswick residents to voice their thoughts.

“The goal is to build this for the community, and we wanted it to be reflective of their needs,” Vita said.

Cheswick resident Brad Yaksich said the project is in its beginning stages. The borough doesn’t have a designated walking trail, but the nearest park is Rachel Carson Park.

“It would be a huge benefit for a designated trail where people can walk, bike and exercise in a safe environment,” he said. “Not to mention the potential economic gains that come with people using the trail.”

The Tarentum section begins at Dreshar Stadium then extends through town to the East Deer section beginning at West Sixth Avenue. That goes to the Pittsburgh Brewing Co. and continues to its endpoint at the Ninth Street Bridge (C.L. Schmitt Bridge) that connects East Deer to New Kensington.

East Deer Commissioner Tony Taliani said the township is in the process of gaining permission to allow the trail to pass through certain businesses and industries. He said the project is very complex because of the intricacies of finding accessible routes throughout the township.

“This has been ongoing for years,” Taliani said. “There has been a greater push in recent years to try to connect some of the points that have been problem areas in the past.”

The trail will make for great foot traffic to the new Pittsburgh Brewing Co. when they open for public access, he said.

Construction several years out

Vita said the study for Cheswick will be completed in six to eight months and the Tarentum-East Deer study in eight to 12 months. She said they hope to start public outreach a couple of times before the end of the year.

Hopefully, in the next two to five years, there will be a construction phase, Vita said.

“The hope is at the end of the studies we will have a better understanding where these trails will go,” she said.