Valley Forge Road to Close Again

UPDATED Wednesday (7/24/13) with postponement of scheduled work.

Valley Forge Road will be closed again, but it's not clear now when that will happen.  The additional work on the Chester Valley Trail Pedestrian Bridge had been planned for overnight Thursday, Aug. 1, but the Chester County website just posted that that work has been postponed.

The road was closed for a long weekend at the end of June while crews put together the bridge structure and lifted it into place, but the bridge they put in place would be difficult and dangerous to cross, since it still lacks a floor to walk or bike across.

• Did you miss seeing the bridge assembled and lifted into place? Check out the pictures to see the progress over the three days.
  

The bridge crosses Valley Forge Road near the 202 intersection. When the work does happen, the road will be closed between Swedesford and Old State roads. Traffic will be detoured onto Old Eagle School Road.

A pedestrian culvert was recently installed farther east on the trail, closing South Warner Road in Wayne. The Friends of Chester Valley Trail group posted photos of the culvert on Facebook.

The trail uses portions the abandoned Chester Valley Railroad corridor, constructed in 1850 by the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Co.

The Tredyffrin Township section is in Phase II of the trail, which extends to Montgomery County and is expected to open in the fall. Phase I is already open in East Whiteland Township, and a third phase heading west to Exton is also planned.

Status updates about the trail's construction, like the detour map attached to this article, are available on the Chester County website.

The trail is expected to open to the public for use in the fall of 2013, according to a press release from the Chester County Commissioners.