The Great Allegheny Passage is a rail trail in Maryland and Pennsylvania.
The multi-use trail is suitable for biking and walking foot trail and occupies an abandoned railroad corridor that stretched for from Cumberland, Maryland to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a branch to the Pittsburgh International Airport.
This trail also connects with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath trail, which runs for an additional between Cumberland, Maryland and Washington, DC.
The first section of the Great Allegheny Passage was a stretch near Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania which opened in 1986.
Trail development
The Allegheny Trail Alliance is a group of seven trail organizations who have joined together to bring this trail to completion. The affiliated trails and the lengths of their trails are:
| Trail | Completed Mileage (km) | Mileage Underway (km) | Total Mileage (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Three Rivers Heritage Trail | 25 (40.2) | 12 (19.3) | 37 (59.6) |
| Steel Valley Trail | 4 (6.4) | 10 (16) | 14 (22.4) |
| Montour Trail | 40 (64.4) | 6 (9.7) | 46 (74.0) |
| Youghiogheny River Trail, North | 43 (68.8) | 0 | 43 (68.8) |
| Youghiogheny River Trail, South | 28 (44.8) | 0 | 28 (44.8) |
| Allegheny Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania | 41 (66.0) | 0 | 41 (66.0) |
| Allegheny Highlands Trail in Maryland | 21 (33.7) | 0 | 21 (33.8) |
| Great Allegheny Trail total | 200.5 (320.8) | ||
| At Cumberland the ATA system connects with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath | |||
| C&O Canal Towpath | 184.5 (295.4) | 0 | 184.5 (295.4) |
| Total including C & O Canal | 385.0 (616.0) | ||
Construction plans
The section between Woodcock Hollow and Cumberland opened on December 13, 2006. of continuous trail are now open from McKeesport, Pennsylvania to Cumberland, Maryland. Trail work remains near Pittsburgh and McKeesport.Ground breaking for the conversion of the Hot Metal Bridge for pedestrian/bike use occurred on September 15, 2006. As part of the project, a new concrete deck and lighting were installed. A switchback ramp was built on the south side of the bridge to connect to the trails there and a new span was erected over Second Avenue to link the bridge to the Eliza Furnace Trail. The project officially opened on November 28, 2007.
Work also is continuing on sections of the Montour Trail, a trail that when completed will link Coraopolis and Clairton. More than of the trail are finished, but there are significant gaps, the largest of which in Cecil and Peters townships is long. A ground-breaking ceremony on that section was held Oct. 22, 2006.
References
See also
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
- Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
- Montour Trail
- Youghiogheny River Trail
- List of rail trails
External links
- Allegheny Trail Alliance - comprehensive GAP web site
- Three Rivers Heritage Trail web site
- Steel Valley Trail
- Youghiogheny River Trail
- Pennsylvania DNR Rail Trail web page
- Allegheny Highlands Trail in Maryland
- U.S. National Park Service, C&O Canal Towpath web page
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Last updated on Monday May 12, 2008 at 11:07:11 PDT (GMT -0700)
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