"You can do it continuously now, but you have to get off your bike and onto the roads," Leswing said. "A single, dedicated, paved path is what we're trying to shoot for."
Last year, volunteers put in thousands of hours clearing debris from the Cynwyd trail, which was clogged with yard waste, trash, shopping carts, and abandoned cars. The volunteers also planted 300 trees.
Historic markers and comfort stations are planned. The markers will tell the story of paper and textile mills that preceded the railroad, and later, how railroad cars brought coal from upstate Pennsylvania to fuel the factories of Philadelphia.
The Cynwyd trail starts at Cynwyd Station and parallels the old Pennsylvania Railroad bed. It follows the border between Westminster and West Laurel Cemeteries as it descends toward the river.
With the added piece made possible by the $1.3 million in state money, the trail would cross the Schuylkill and its namesake expressway via the Manayunk Bridge.
On the city side, the trail crosses high above the current Manayunk Canal towpath. Someday, there will be a short path linking the bridge with the shops along Main Street, Leswing said. The trail ends at the Ivy Ridge commuter parking lot.
On the Lower Merion side, another spur of the trail parallels the Schuylkill riverfront before ending near the Belmont Exit of the expressway.
Federal, state, Montgomery County, township, and SEPTA money has been earmarked to build the paved path and amenities. Completion is scheduled for September, Leswing said.
Contact staff writer Bonnie L. Cook at 610-313-8232 or bcook@phillynews.com.
