I see that construction is happening along Northwestern Avenue. Can you tell me more about this?
Yes. Construction is nearly complete for the “link” between Stenton Avenue and Fairmount Park. A 12 foot wide multi-use trail is in place now between Stenton and the Creek. The County has also moved the sidewalk back and will be installing shoulders on the road between the Creek and Germantown Avenue, to give bicyclists a good place to ride. When we’re all done, pedestrians will have a continuous sidewalk from Stenton to Germantown Pike and cyclists and pedestrians can then easily reach the Forbidden Drive at Andorra Road. We expect everything to be done by December of 2006.
Can you tell me about the development between Stenton Avenue and Fort Washington State Park?
The county is will complete most of the trail this December in that section. We still have to do an underpass of the Railroad to make the final connection to the Militia Hill recreation area of the Park and re-deck the existing pedestrian bridge over the Wissahickon to make the connection to the Mill Road Recreation area of the Park. Both of these will be done in the Summer of 2006.
I love walking along the Wissahickon Creek in Whitemarsh Township on the nice walking path and although I applaud your development plans for this section, I wonder about the sensitive environment and how you will protect the environment.
When we design and build the trail in that area, we will be required to get the proper permits from the Department of Environmental Protection agency and the Montgomery County Conservation District. Additionally, we will look carefully at the need to protect mature trees and the stream bank of the Creek, itself. We will not be increasing any flood elevations and with the stone/cinder surface of the trail, we will not be affecting the percolation of storm water as it now exists.
