Over the River
August 20, 2016
Yesterday evening we walked across the Schuylkill River on the brand new Sullivan's Bridge. They've been building this bridge ever since we moved here and now it is all done! It links the Schuylkill River Trail to the trails in Valley Forge National Park. It's named after Major General John Sullivan, an officer in the Continental Army. George Washington charged him with building a bridge over the river to connect the two encampments on either side of the river. It's 14 feet wide and 602 feet long, for walkers and bikers only. There used to be another bridge here, called the Betzwood Bridge, but it was torn down in the early 1990s.
Here's the view to the north -- lovely, isn't it? That's the new construction to replace the US Route 422 bridge over the river. We have been living with various construction projects since we moved here, but that's okay. I actually rather like watching the progress. See that chain link fence on top? That encloses the walker/biker section of the highway. It was actually bolted on to the side of the bridge to provide a way for pedestrians and bikers to cross! It's a four-foot wide boardwalk that I'm sure takes nerves of steel to cross. Joe did it -- once. I took one look and said no thanks!
On the other side of the bridge is this view -- ah, that's better!
In addition to the bridge over the river, the builders had to rebuild the bridge over the railroad tracks. It has a high fence on either side to prevent idiots from throwing stuff on the tracks, which are still very much in use.
And finally, here's my guy, gazing at the river, shielding his eyes from the setting sun.
I'm so glad to have this lovely bridge so close by! It's about a half-mile walk from our place, so it will make a very nice extension of my outdoor walks. Or, heck, I can also be lazy and drive to the parking lot before I stroll over the river. Regardless, now I can play Poohsticks on Sullivan's Bridge!