Great Allegheny Passage

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 convert|150|mi|lk=on from Cumberland, Maryland to Point State Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with a convert|52|mi|adj=on branch to the Pittsburgh International Airport.

This trail also connects with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal towpath trail, which runs for an additional convert|185|mi between Cumberland, Maryland and Washington, DC.

The first section of the Great Allegheny Passage was a convert|9|mi|adj=on stretch near Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania which opened in 1986. [cite news
last = Thomson
first = Candus
coauthors =
title = Trail's opening eyed as path to prosperity
work = The Baltimore Sun
pages = 2
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-12-13
url = http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/outdoors/bal-te.sp.trail13dec13,0,3730065.story?page=2&coll=bal-home-headlines
accessdate = 2006-12-20 ]

Trail development

The [http://atatrail.org 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:

Construction plans

The convert|9|mi|adj=on section between Woodcock Hollow and Cumberland opened on December 13, 2006. [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = New bike path portion open for business in Maryland
work = The Washington Times
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-12-15
url = http://washingtontimes.com/metro/20061214-102416-2762r.htm
accessdate = 2006-12-20 ] convert|130|mi 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. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Great Allegheny Passage Trail Status - October 2006
work =
publisher =
date =
url = http://atatrail.org/maps/open.cfm
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2006-12-21 ] 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. [cite news
last = Belko
first = Mark
coauthors =
title = South Side riverfront park, bike-walk bridge now under way
work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-10-27
url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06300/733397-140.stm
accessdate = 2006-12-21 ] [cite news
last =
first =
coauthors =
title = Hot Metal Pedestrian Bridge to officially open
work = Pittsburgh Business Times
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2007-11-13
url = http://washington.bizjournals.com/pittsburgh/stories/2007/11/12/daily6.html
accessdate = 2007-11-19 ] [cite news
last = Walsh
first = Lawrence
coauthors =
title = Put the pedal to the Hot Metal: Bridge across Mon opens at last
work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-11-29
url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07333/837648-53.stm
accessdate = 2007-12-29 ]

Work also is continuing on sections of the Montour Trail, a convert|46|mi|adj=on trail that when completed will link Coraopolis and Clairton. More than convert|40|mi of the trail are finished, but there are significant gaps, the largest of which in Cecil and Peters townships is convert|2|mi long. A ground-breaking ceremony on that section was held Oct. 22, 2006. [cite news
last = Walsh
first = Lawrence
coauthors =
title = Bicycle trail now connects to Maryland
work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
pages =
language =
publisher =
date = 2006-12-15
url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06349/746358-140.stm
accessdate = 2006-12-21 ]

References

ee also

*Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
*Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
*Montour Trail
*Youghiogheny River Trail
* List of rail trails

External links

* [http://www.atatrail.org Allegheny Trail Alliance - comprehensive GAP web site]
* [http://www.friendsoftheriverfront.org/ Three Rivers Heritage Trail web site]
* [http://www.steelvalleytrail.org/ Steel Valley Trail]
* [http://www.youghrivertrail.com/ Youghiogheny River Trail]
* [http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/railtrails/ Pennsylvania DNR Rail Trail web page]
* [http://www.ahtmtrail.org/ Allegheny Highlands Trail in Maryland]
* [http://www.nps.gov/choh/ U.S. National Park Service, C&O Canal Towpath web page]