Dozens—maybe hundreds? I’m not great at estimating crowds—of people came out to stand over the Schuylkill River on Friday, celebrating the opening of the long-awaited Manayunk Bridge. Connecting Manayunk to Bala Cynwyd, the city to the suburbs, it is now the longest, and objectively the best, bike/ped bridge over the Schuylkill River.
A groundbreaking for the bridge happened about a year ago, and the $5.76 million project is the culmination of a long, strong partnership between city leaders, county leaders, advocacy organizations and the U.S. Department of Transportation. It represents a big win for Philadelphia, and the Circuit Trail network.
As noted by Philly Voice:
The bridge – which Rogan referred to as the ‘High Line of the Main Line’ – is seen as a “hallmark segment” of the Circuit Trails which encompass some 300 miles of pathways throughout Pennsylvania and South Jersey. The ultimate goal is a 750-mile trail network throughout the nine-county region.
Nutter said the $5.76 million project “revitalized an almost-forgotten bridge and transformed it into a functioning public space that expands and encourages recreational use” for runners and cyclists to safely use while boosting property values of nearby neighbors.
Below the fold, find photos of the bridge, views from it, and images from Friday’s ribbon-cutting ceremony.
A view from the bridge
Crowd gathers for the opening ceremony.
Hey look! Manayunk.
U.S. Rep. Chaka Fattah: “Portland may have the longest bike-ped bridge in the country…but we have the best!”
Cadence Youth Cycling program manager Cy Maramangalam went as “Mayor Nutter Butter” for Halloween. Here he is with the not-so-buttery Mayor Michael Nutter.
For more pictures and information about the Manayunk Bridge opening, check out our Facebook page.