The long-awaited addition to the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia will open May 17, connecting Fitler Square and neighborhoods to the north to Grays Ferry and, eventually, southwest Philadelphia.
The Christian to Crescent Bridge, featuring a 650-foot cable-stay connection along the Schuylkill River, will expand the trail approximately 2,800 feet from Christian Street to Grays Ferry Crescent, which extends to Wharton Street.
“I think the Christian to Crescent Bridge will help us connect much better to portions of southwest Philadelphia,” said Patrick Starr, chair of the Circuit Trails Coalition. “This is so important because it’s visually striking, it’ll be new and exciting to [use], and I think people are going to love it.”
Sara Berndwal is one of the many people that will benefit from the opening of the bridge. The Rittenhouse Square native is an avid bike enthusiast, using the trail regularly for her commute to work.
“[The Christian to Crescent Bridge] is something that I feel like I’ve been hearing about for years now,” Berndwal said. “To [be able to] use it and [reach] other areas of the city will save me SEPTA fees I really wish I didn’t have to pay.”
The bridge’s construction, overseen by the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, began in 2022 after nearly a decade of planning. The $45 to $50 million dollar project was financed by federal and city dollars as well as a grant from the William Penn Foundation.
A new swing bridge will eventually connect Grays Ferry Crescent to Bartram’s Garden, extending the continuous trail down to 61st Street. Construction is expected to be complete by the end of this year.
“It’s going to open enormous opportunities to connect low-income residents of southwest Philadelphia and provide a really inexpensive way to commute [to] their jobs,” said Starr. “I truly believe it will change the way some people choose to commute to Center City.”
The Christian to Crescent project was not without its challenges: Industry along the riverbank necessitated the boardwalk-like bridge design, and designers tried to disrupt the river bed as little as possible to ease the impact on fish migration, said Joseph Syrnick, the president and CEO of the Schuylkill River Development Corporation.
Opening day celebrations for the extension will take place on May 17th from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. More information about the event can be found at schuykillbanks.org.
“It’ll be great to celebrate after all these years,” Syrnick said.
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