Park Line Pedestrian Bridge Officially Installed In Summit

SUMMIT, NJ — As part of a project to create a pedestrian linear park along an abandoned railroad in Summit, a pedestrian bridge was installed over Morris Avenue this past weekend.

The installation of the bridge, which has a 17-foot clearance over Morris, marks the completion of phase 1A of the project.

As proposed, the 1.2-mile-long Park Line will begin a few hundred yards from downtown Summit, winding through eastern Summit all the way to Orchard Road in Springfield Township. The trail will run along the elevated former Rahway Valley Railroad, providing views of the Manhattan skyline.

The Park Line is intended to serve as a "gateway feature" for the City — a place for both active and passive recreation and a new pathway that connects local attractions, parks, major employment centers and Jefferson Elementary School.

When complete, the Park Line will be the first new park in Summit in 85 years, according to the city.

Read more: Summit Park Line Project Underway, City Provides Update

You can check out photos of the new bridge posted to the City of Summit Facebook page below:

The post received mixed comments from Summit residents, with some excited about the pedestrian access and others worried about privacy.

One commenter wrote, "It will help connect east summit to downtown and make it easier and safer to get to town. The future is bright for sure. What a great collaborative project!!"

But others expressed concerns that the bridge will interfere with the surrounding neighborhood.

One commenter wrote, "While this seems like a lovely addition to our town, it backs up to several residential backyards. Would you like it if people could constantly look into your private yard? Perhaps some privacy screens could be installed to protect the privacy of these residents and still allow for a walking trail?"

Another added, "The City of Summit signed an agreement with Park Line Summit in order to monitor the project and protect the interests of the city. So why wasn’t input from residents whose yards abut this project formally sought out as it was prior to construction of the adjacent Habitual for Humanity project?"

At a previous meeting, the Director of the Department of Community Services Aaron Schrager said Phase 2 of the project involves installing fencing and planting landscape buffers on Henry Street, which is a nearby residential area.

You can learn more about the Summit Park Line project here.

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