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The Great Allegheny Passage is the trail between Pittsburgh, PA and Cumberland, MD, continuing on the C&O Canal to Washington, DC. This 330 mile trail is almost complete. The remaining gaps are 9 miles between Mckeesport, Pa and Southside Pittsburgh and a short segment by the Monongahela Wharf.
Many have been asking about the status of this gap and when it will be completed. A statement, from the President of Allegheny Trail Alliance (ATA) with link annotations added, can be found here. My (Roy's) understanding of the trail gaps between Pittsburgh and Mckeesport, PA. can be found here. It is based Jack Paulik's excellent presentation last April at the Bulgarian Macedonian Center in Homestead, augmented by field reports and discussions with the Allegheny Trail Alliance, and the Steel Valley Trail. This page is not an official anything of (nor endorsed by) the Allegheny Trail Alliance or the Steel Valley Trail or Riverlife.
As of 6 Aug the ATA coffers for funding the nine mile gap were about $2 million short. $8.2 million has been raised in less than 18 months, but three bridges, ramps and asphalt surface are expensive. The contractors have been efficient and generous but work will stop if funding runs out. If you would like to help, even in a small way, click here.
Please stay off the sections of trails that are marked as closed. For safety and legal reasons, there is to be no public use until the section is complete, including any necessary fencing. It is desired to maintain good relationships with property owners. One of the trail officials said "It has taken years to get what we have thus far from our property partners. We need to close deals on other properties with these same partners." Staying off closed trails will help.
You can get an interactive map with this information using Google Earth or Google Maps.
| The letter in the left hand column correlates to letters in the map above. | Subscribe to receive notice of changes to this page. |
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| A | The Point to Monongahela Wharf
Status: Open |
The fountain at Point State Park is the beginning/terminus of the Great Allegheny Passage. Here one dips the bike wheel in the fountain to signify the begin/end of the journey. Trail Status: Open: The path is paved simulation brick in the park, and concrete sidewalk outside of the park. (Ridden 22 June 2008) From the fountain proceed along the Monongahela (the river on your right). At the end of the park you will travel a sidewalk between the concrete river bank and an express highway. Continue along the sidewalk and down a ramp to the wharf. From the wharf, head downriver.At the end of the parking area head up a sidewalk ramp, between the concrete river bank and expressway. Follow the sidewalk into the park and stay along the river to the fountain at the point. |
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| B | Monongahela Wharf Landing and Switchback to Smithfield Sreet | As part of their plan for 3 Rivers Park, Riverlife’s Master Plan includes the construction of a park on the Monongahela Wharf. The Monongahela Wharf is a vast concrete wasteland (parking lot) adjacent to Point State Park, often flooded during high rains. The master plan includes undulating paths, boat tie-ups, heart plants and a flood-resistant infrastructure. Look for this new parklet in Summer 2009! To complete the connection between the Eliza Furnace Trail and Point Park, Riverlife has plans for a ‘switchback’ ramp from the Smithfield Street bridge down to the Mon Wharf Landing along the river. The completion of the switchback will eliminate a long block on busy Fort Pitt Blvd which is one way towards the Point. This project is scheduled to be completed in 2011. Trail Status: The wharf parking area is deteriorated concrete. The switchback ramp to Smithfield Street is to be completed in 2011 per e-mail communications from Riverlife 21 Aug 2008. To get from the wharf to Smithfield Street - About half way along the wharf the exit road leads up to the left. Follow it up to Fort Pitt Blvd which is one way against you. From this point, one can go two blocks over to the Blvd of the Allies and then two blocks back on Smithfield Street, or cross Fort Pitt Blvd, turn right and walk your bike along the sidewalk for one block. Note: The sidewalk is in the central business district and therefore it is illegal to ride on this sidewalk. At the end of the block cross Smithfield street, turn right and cross Fort Pitt Blvd and the expressway ramp. Turn left on the shared use path (sidewalk) between the concrete jersey barriers. To get from the Eliza Furnace Trail cross Grant Street where the two expressway ramps join Grant. Follow the shared use path (sidewalk) between the concrete jersey barriers. Cross Smithfield Street, turn right and cross the expressway ramp. Either join the road traffic on the left side of Fort Pitt Blvd for a long block to the Monongahela Wharf entrance, or cross Fort Pitt Blvd and walk along the sidewalk for the block. Note: The sidewalk is in the central business district and therefore it is illegal to side on this sidewalk. Head down the ramp to Monongahela Wharf parking. At the bottom of the ramp turn right and proceed to the end of the parking area. |
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| C | Eliza Furnace Trail
Status: Open |
The Great Allegheny Passage uses 2.5 miles of the Eliza Furnace trail between the Smithfield Street Bridge and the Hot Metal bridge. Trail Status: Open: Paved bike path separated from all vehicle traffic (one road crossing) (Ridden 02 Aug 2008) |
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| D | Hot Metal Bridge Status: Open |
The Great Allegheny Passage crosses Second Avenue and the Monongahela River on the Hot Metal Bridge. This is a completely separated bridge form the automobile traffic. Trail Status: Open: Concrete deck on bridge. (Ridden 25 Aug 2008) |
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| E | South Side Trail
Status: Open |
The Great Allegheny Passage will use a portion of the paved, existing South Side Trail. It currently dead ends and does not have an outlet. Trail Status: Open: But useless for the Great Allegheny Passage. (Ridden 02Aug 2008) As of July 30,2008 your best bet is to use a shuttle service from the end of the Hot Metal Bridge to McKeesport. Sometime in late September or early October your best bet should become using a shuttle service from the end of the Hot Metal Bridge to Duquesne (Grant street in the RIDC Park). |
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| F | Caruso
Status: Closed |
Permission has been obtained, Exact trail location will be determined when adjacent trail location is finalized. Trail Status: Closed. Not yet built (reported 30 Jul 2008) |
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| G | Sandcastle
Status: Closed |
No easy place to put the trail. Permission not yet obtained.
"Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and Kennywood/Sandcastle President Peter J. McAneny today announced they have made significant progress to accommodate the Great Allegheny Passage on Sandcastle property". See the PR release on the county web site. But note: "Many of the details, including the final alignment of the trail, must still be resolved." (3 Oct 2008). See the Post-Gazette article dated 4 Oct 2008. A Post-Gazette article with some words from Kennywood's president can be found here. (10 Aug 2008) |
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| H | Water Front 1 Status: Closed |
Permission has been obtained, Exact trail location will be determined when adjacent trail location is finalized. Trail Status: Not yet built, but the roads in the Waterfront plaza are wide and can accommodate bicycle traffic. (reported 30 Jul 2008) |
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| I | Waterfront 2
Status: Open |
Existing Limestone 1.1 mile trail, between back of stores/apartments and river. Trail Status: Open (Ridden 02 Aug 2008) |
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| J | Waterfront 3 Status: Closed |
Permission has been obtained. Trail Status: Closed: not yet under construction (Reported 30 July 2008) Connection can be made by using the sidewalk, crossing at the Storage facility and using their dirt/Gravel driveway. (Ridden 02 Aug 2008) I am not sure where the trail will finally be placed. This is my best guess. |
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| K | Waterfront 4 Status: Closed |
A paved 0.6 mile trail. Trail Status: closed. Construction on trail. (reported 02 Aug 2008) . Construction work is being done under/around the Rankin Bridge. Often comstruction equipment is blocking the trail. Construction work for the railroad flyover has not yet started but will be occurring at the south/east end of this section |
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| L | Railroad Flyover Status: Closed |
Bridge over the active, mainline (high speed) railroad tracks. Trail Status: Closed. Dangerous and illegal crossing of railroad racks. Flyover not yet under construction. The engineering contract has been let, and the enginners are working on the design. It will not be completed in 2008. (reported 05 Oct 2008). |
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| M | Pipeline Trail Status: Closed |
Dirt Road 1.5 miles below Kennywood park, along side the removed Coal Gas Pipe Line Trail Status: Closed: No access from either end. (reported 02 Aug 2008) With the great help of USS, 2 large coal gas pipes were removed and a dirt road graded. |
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| N | Port Perry railroad yard
Status: Closed |
Active railroad yard. A railroad flyover will be built. This is a complicated crossing which involves high level Norfolk Southern approvals and five property acquisitions. All is going well at this point, but it will not be completed in 2008. A grant for $500,000 towards the estimate $2,500,000 has just been made by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). See the Pittsburgh Tribune-Rewiew article. (Updated 25 Sep 2008) |
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| O | Duquesne 1
Status: Closed |
Permission has been obtained. Trail Status: Closed. The obvious connection along side the railroad leads to a dead end, forty feet down from the final trail location, with no way up. (reported 02 Aug 2008) |
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| P | Duquesne 2
Status: Closed |
A paved 1.1 mile trail. Major construction is happening where they are constructing an access road over the trail into the industrial complex.At this point there is 75 feet of missing trail (rebar and concrete forms where the trail is to go), with no way around except through the constructon site. (reported 10 Oct 2008) |
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| Q | Duquesne 3
Status: Closed |
Trail surface has been graded, and waiting for ashphalt, and the previous section t be completed. Trail Status: Closed: No access from either end. |
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| R | Riverton Bridge Status: Open |
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| S | Riverton Bridge Ramp Status: Open |
The ramp to get from bridge level to ground level is now open Trail Status: Open. There is still some construction scafolding on the outside of the fence on the upper third of teh ramp. There is lots of used lumber under and around the ramp. So there may be some constructon equipment and men working around the ramp next week. (Reported 10 Oct 2008)  Picture taken from parking lot 13 Sep 2008 |
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| T U |
McKeesport 1 & 2 Status: Open |
This section is now open. it is a paved 0.9 mile trail. Trail Status: Open: There s about 40 feet of fencing still to be placed, so there may be some constructon equipment crossing the trail next week. (Reported 10 Oct 2008) |
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| V | McKeesport 3
Status: Open |
At present the trail will use city streets to get from Locust street to the Marina, where the existing trail starts. McKeesport folks will be putting up signs to show the exact route through town. There are future plans to move it off the streets, but when and where is not known at this point, so do not ask. There are future plans to move it off the streets, but when and where is not known at this point, so do not ask. |
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| W | Mckeesport Marina
Status: Open |
Start of the existing, open limestone trail to Cumberland. MD, connecting to the C&O trail to Washington DC. Trail Status: Open All the way to Washington DC (Ridden 15 June 2008) |
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