New $245,000 section of Tredway recreational trail in Allegheny Township opens

The new 1.75-mile extension of the Tredway recreational trail winding along the River Forest golf course in Allegheny Township from the marina to under the Freeport Bridge is just about complete.

This week, the recreational trail flanked by manicured greenery was ready for walking and biking.

Allegheny Township and Senate Engineering led the effort to design the 10-foot-wide, crushed limestone trail extension.

It adds to the Wynn and Clara Tredway Trail, a 2-mile bike and walking path at the border of Allegheny Township and the Braeburn section of Lower Burrell.

“We want the trail to be a gem to serve our residents’ recreational needs and those who visit our township,” said Greg Primm, township manager.

The new trail and the two-tiered, paved parking lot with about 12 parking spaces under the Freeport Bridge, will provide much needed access along with easy parking, he added.

Three more parking spaces, including one with handicapped accessibility, have been built near the intersection of Club House and River Forest drives.

The trail extension project was paid for by state Transportation Alternative Program funds.

PennDOT awarded the $245,000 contract to A. Folino Construction Inc. to lay the trail, pave the parking lot and add landscaping. Work, which began in the spring, still requires some finishing touches, including backfilling and signage, Dino Folino, vice president of A. Folino, said Wednesday.

The new trail is relatively flat as it follows a former rail line of the Allegheny Valley Railroad.

The new section showcases the rolling hills of the golf course without having to ride or walk them.

On a sunny day, the course with its manicured grass carpet is almost an electric green compared to the shady, cooler environs of the trail.

With neat plantings of hydrangea bushes and landscaping, the trail is as manicured as its golf course surroundings and the intricately landscaped River Forest residences.

Around $30,000 worth of trees were planted with a number of blossoming varieties, including dogwood, magnolia and pear, according to Primm.

Living up to its name of River Forest, there aren’t many views of the Allegheny River in the new section, with thickets of trees and some homes blocking the view.

However, spectacular vistas of the river are found under the Freeport Bridge and farther down the trail, just beyond the River Forest marina where the older portion of the trail offers scenic views of the river along with a waterfall and other scenery.

For the best views of the river, walkers and cyclists can set out to tap the 21-mile Butler-Freeport Community Trail by “sharing the road” from under the Freeport Bridge to the downriver side of the Freeport Bridge, crossing the bridge.

Still to come for the new section of trail is a three-part historical sign, which is in the approval process with PennDOT, according to Primm. The sign will be located near the trail and adjacent to the bridge.

Allegheny Township wants to extend the trail farther north to Kiski Junction, about 2 miles. Township officials have applied for money from the state for a trail along the river to loop around a 40-acre tract owned by the township. The township should learn whether it will receive the grant later this year, Primm said.

John Framel, a River Forest resident and a former supervisor, negotiated with Tredway his donation in the late 1990s of the ground for the start of the trail.

Residents can sponsor memorial benches along the trail. Details will be in the township’s fall newsletter. To learn more, call the township office at 724-842-4641.