The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk Extension Opens Next Month

Photo via Schuylkill Banks on Facebook.

The Schuylkill River Trail is finally getting its long-awaited extension in the form a 2,000-foot-long boardwalk addition set to link the trail, which normally ends on Locust Street, to University City via a ramp connecting to the South Street Bridge. The boardwalk will open October 2nd, according to Uwishinu’s Jillian Wilson.

Walkers, runners, and bicyclists planning to use the 15-foot-wide concrete structure should know it strays 50 feet from the river’s shoreline.

Addressing safety concerns, the Schuylkill Banks website says the project, which was a joint venture between the Schuylkill River Development Corporation and the City of Philadelphia, is “designed to accommodate emergency and maintenance vehicles,” and will have “four widened overlooks” so that pedestrians pausing to enjoy the view won’t block runners or cyclists.

Here’s an early rendering of what the SRDC expects to see after its completion: