The Manayunk Bridge Trail opened in 2015 ready for some fine pedalin’.

Or so we thought.

The bike/ped trail bridge, which connects Manayunk, in Philadelphia County; to Lower Merion, in Montgomery County; can be a great commuter route.

Except: When the bridge was constructed, lights were not included in the budget—which means Parks and Rec officers have to close the bridge at dusk. But not for long, and there’s a meeting next week to talk about it.

As I wrote back in November 2016,

The funds for lighting were made available six months later in 2016—but it will take another 18 months from now, or so, to complete the project, according to Philadelphia Parks and Recreation.

Because the trail is part of both the Philadelphia’s Parks & Recreation system and Lower Merion Township’s parks, it can only be used after dusk with proper lighting.

From the time the bridge opened, to present, a gate closes by Parks & Rec. staff leave around dusk. And it does not open until they return to work in the morning.

The initial funds for the bridge’s construction did not including lighting because the cost of repurposing the bridge into a trail ran higher than expected.  But in March of this year, the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission announced it would provide $600,000 for lighting of the Manayunk Bridge as one of 11 projects that received $7.6 million in Transportation Alternative Program grants.

Now that the money is available, and plans are in the works, there will be a meeting hosted by the Circuit Trails Coalition to talk about the design of lighting on the Manayunk Bridge Trail.

The meeting will be at the Manayunk Brewing Company on Main Street. Check out full details below and RSVP at this link.

Manayunk Bridge Lighting Meeting
Monday, June 19, 7pm-9pm
Manayunk Brewery and Restaurant
4120 Main Street, Philadelphia PA 19127