Within several years, outdoor enthusiasts will have access to an extended Susquehanna River walking and biking trail.
The $5 million project, a joint effort by Williamsport and Lycoming County, will extend the six-mile trail by four miles along the river levee. It will also connect the trail to another trail in Pine Creek in Clinton County.
The completed extension will mean a connection to trails from Rochester, New York, to the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland.
Clinton County is building the Bald Eagle Rail Trail to Pine Creek in Jersey Shore in Lycoming County. The trails often follow former railroad beds built in the 1800s.
“We have the golden spike over in Utah, between the two major railroad systems. Well, we see a golden spike opportunity that could occur eventually in the Jersey Shore area,” said Mark Murawski, Lycoming County’s assistant transportation planner.
New York’s system is 75% built, Murawski said. The trail crosses into Potter County. The trail piece there is already complete and connects to Wellsboro.
The levee’s 10-foot-wide paved walkway will extend from Maynard Street to Susquehanna State Park’s riverfront. Currently, it is in the final design phase. The project is a part of a tourism push by the city and county.
Tourism is the area’s second largest industry, Murawski said. The first is agriculture. The extension will help outdoor tourism.
The river walk is a part of the Susquehanna Greenway, 500 miles of parks, trails and communities along the river.
“What makes Williamsport and Lycoming County unique is where we sit in relation to the Pennsylvania Wilds,” Lycoming County commissioner Mark Mussina said.
Having a connection in Williamsport means people who want to go north have a place to stay overnight because the Pennsylvania Wilds lack access in some places.
“People who want to enjoy the northern tier can lodge here,” Mussina said. “The Susquehanna River is such an important part of here. It isn’t just the Rails to Trails and the bike path, it’s the whole Susquehanna Greenways project.”
The project’s design began five years ago. The plan is to connect community parks like Newbury and Susquehanna State to the trail.
The extension’s engineering is planned for 2026. Construction depends on finding the money to build.
Commissioners will match grants they receive from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR). The county has asked U.S. representatives Glenn Thompson and Dan Meuser and senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman to help get federal funding, Murawski said. The county asked for about a $1 million earmark.
“If we can get the DCNR money and a federal earmark, we would be in a position based on the mechanics of the project to construct at least the first phase around 2026,” Murawski said.
Construction alone would cost an estimated $4.5 million and could begin in 2027.
The city and county will own the trail. The city, county and, in one section, the Pennsylvania College of Technology will maintain the trail.
“Most of the portion of the trail is on Penn College and have also indicated they are interested in maintaining the section of the trail that's on their property,” Picciano said.
Williamsport Mayor Derek Slaughter is excited because the extension will boost community investment.
“It’s going to be great. Our river walk is fantastic, and as it continues and makes its way to the west, the Rail to Trails and everything that is out there in Pine Creek,” he said. “We’re very excited about it and we’re looking forward to that project being completed.”
The project requires 22 easements and has worked on getting them for the last year.
“We're getting very good cooperation. It’s one of those things where I think it's contagious. People start seeing the potential of this, and some of them are businessmen, and they do understand that their spin off from this, when you get more tourism, more people using facilities like this,” Murawski said.
The current river walk originated about 2000. The county worked with the city and the Lycoming County Chamber of Commerce to revitalize downtown Williamsport. The public desired to connect the town with the river, said Murawski, the original walk’s project manager.
“We felt that the best way to do that was to construct a river walk on top of the levee system,” he said.
The state Department of Transportation replaced the Market Street Bridge then and constructed ramps from the new bridge to the levee system and the current river walk.
“That whole system then would make the connection to a new revitalize downtown. The river walk project then basically got in design phase and it took several years to get through that,” Murawski said.
The original project cost about $4 million. Most of the funding was from a federal earmark, Murawski said. Three municipalities benefitted. The construction connected the city, South Williamsport Borough and Loyalsock Township. The South Williamsport Recreation Complex was also part of the system, Murawski said.
“It was wildly successful, and people wanted more. That sort of led to the birth of what we call the River Walk Extension Project,” he said. “The idea here is a family oriented and safe environment for people. Whether they're interested in walking, biking or roller skating.”
