The expansion of the Three Rivers Heritage Trail throughout the Pittsburgh region continues to be a top priority for Friends of the Riverfront and our partners including Allegheny County and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council. We’d like to keep our members and supporters informed on important developments including new trail construction, temporary closures, improvements and detours. Please Contact Us if you have an interesting addition or recommendation for our site or visit our Yahoo Group for topic discussions from trail users like you.
Chateau Trail detour around Casino construction
Point State Park
Route 28 Trail
Community Initiatives - Extending the trail up the Allegheny
Allegheny Riverfront - Convention Center to Highland Park
Carrie Furnace
East End Loop
Ohio Riverfront Montour Connection
Great Allegheny Passage
Pittsburgh to Erie Trail
Convention Center Riverfront Park
Trail Alerts/Condition Advisories
Chateau Trail detour around Casino construction
The alignment chosen will service both bicycle and pedestrian needs in the safest and shortest route possible around the construction zone. The detour will remain in place for an estimated 18 months during construction. Upon completion the trail will once again open along its original alignment. Click Here to download a detailed layout and rendering of the detour.
Point State Park
Restoration of Point State Park is still ongoing. Trail users will be happy to know the connection across the Allegheny River along the Fort Duquesne Bridge is now open. Biking is permissible around the lower riverfront promenade. Caution is advised as the flagstones have not yet been replaced. Click Here to visit the Point State Park renovation web-page for additional details.
Planning and Development
Route 28 Trail
Development of a dedicated trail along the Allegheny River between the City of Pittsburgh and Borough of Millvale is a top development priority. As part of the Route 28 Relocation Project the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and Friends of the Riverfront are working to preserve this critical recreation and commuting corridor. Click Here for a one-page project brief. The Trail construction is tentatively scheduled for late 2009 through 2010. This will help to ensure minimal disruption during roadway work associated with the overall Route 29 Relocation Project. We are currently fundraising the estimated $2.8 million cost for this complex project. Preliminary engineering and design is available for view Click Here.
Community Trails Initiative
The Community Trails Initiative is public/private multi-municipal project to complete a trail feasibility study encompassing 17 municipalities (City of Pittsburgh, Millvale, Shaler, Etna, Sharpsburg, Aspinwall, Fox Chapel, O’Hara Township, Blawnox, Harmar, Cheswick, Springdale, Springdale Township, Frazer, Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison) along the North Shore of the Allegheny River for the purpose of connecting the existing Three Rivers Heritage Trail with the Armstrong Trail. This connection is an important part of the Allegheny County Riverfronts Project, the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Network and also the Pittsburgh to Harrisburg Mainline Canal Greenway.
Friends of the Riverfront and our partners have formed a project team who has been meeting with leaders of each municipality to garner consensus and support for this initiative. Currently we are selecting a firm to assist with the planning this multi-municipal trail and greenway that stretches for more than 34 miles. Click Here for a copy of the Request for Proposal on the project. The deadline for submitting a proposal has past. The Committee is currently interviewing potential firms and hope to announce a decisions shortly.
Allegheny Riverfront - Convention Center to Highland Park
The Urban Redevelopment Authority and partnering organizations have recently begun requesting proposals from multi-diciplinary concultant teams to create an urban design vision and market based implementation plan for the left bank of the Allegheny River from the Convention Center to Highland Park including a small section of riverfront. Click Here for additional details or to download a copy of the Request for Proposals.
Carrie Furnace
Coming Soon...
East End Loop
The City of Pittsburgh and Friends of the Riverfront are currently working on a plan to connect the Duck Hollow Trail on the Monongahela River with the Pittsburgh Zoo area on the Allegheny River. The proposed alignment will connect several City Parks and neighborhoods stretching for nearly 10 miles of trails/improved roadways. Additional information will be posted shortly.
Ohio Riverfront Montour Connection
Friends of the Riverfront and our partners are just now beginning to meet with individuals, community leaders and various stakeholders to explore the possibility of connecting the Heritage Trail downstream along the Ohio to the Montour Trail. This connection will increase access to recreational amenities, open the possibility of alternative transportation to and from places of business and provide access between neighborhoods. Additional information will be available shortly.
Linking the Heritage Trail Regionally
Great Allegheny Passage
The Great Allegheny Passage, a 150-mile system of biking and hiking trails that will connect Cumberland, MD and Pittsburgh, PA when completed. The connection to the C & O Canal Towpath in Cumberland, MD was made in 2006, creating a continuous non-motorized corridor, 318 miles long, from McKeesport, near Pittsburgh, to Washington, DC. Portions of the Heritage Trail including the South Side Trail, Eliza Furnace Trail and the Hotmetal Bridge are all part of the Great Allegheny Passage before reaching the final destination at the fountain in Point State Park. Click Here for more information on the Great Allegheny Passage.
Friends of the Riverfront is a member of the Allegheny Trail Alliance who, along with our partners and numerous stakeholders, are committed to completing the final missing pieces along the alignment. We are currently focusing attention on area adjacent to the Glenwood Bridge where a half mile gap exists. Tentative agreements have been reached with property owners. Final agreement of the exact trail alignment will depend on the engineering and design of the trail.
Pittsburgh to Erie Trail
Emerging mega-greenway effort to establish a continuous trail from the Erie Bayfront to Point State Park in downtown Pittsburgh. This initiative is being led by the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail Alliance (EPTA), an alliance of non-profit organizations, municipalities, and other organizations actively involved in the acquisition, development and maintenance of non-motorized trails and safe, well marked bicycle and pedestrian routes in Western Pennsylvania. Friends of the Riverfront and our partners Allegheny County Economic Development and the Pennsylvania Environmental Council are actively working on the portion of this alignment within Allegheny County along the Allegheny Riverfront. Click Here for overall information on the Pittsburgh to Erie development or see Community Trails above for details on this development locally.
Convention Center Riverfront Park
The Sports and Exhibition Authority (SEA) and partners continue plans for the development of a mixed use riverfront park on the banks of the Allegheny River adjacent to the Convention Center. The plans include docking facilities, connections to the adjacent Heritage Trail, additional greenspace and links into the Tenth Street Water Feature already in place. Click Here to visit the SEA Development Page for complete details and preliminary drawings of the project.
Have a question or would like additional information? Click Here to be more involved or Click Here to become a member and help make it happen!
