East Brady tunnel project could spur economic growth

Clarion County commissioners have approved a $1.5 million PennDOT set-aside grant application for the third phase of the Brady Tunnel project.

It is an investment by the state that the commissioners hope will have a healthy return for the county.

The Pittsburgh to Erie Trail passes through the Brady Tunnel, and the trail is expected to benefit the region.

Chris Ziegler, executive director of Armstrong Trails, said a similar trail, the Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. trail, had 1.5 million users in 2020, with 200,000 of them staying overnight on multi-day trips. She said trail users spend about $124 a day, or about $56 million a year.

Clarion County commissioner Ted Tharan said the motels, restaurants and bed and breakfasts along the trail would benefit from the trail traffic.

“Someone could even start a shuttle service to the motels,” he said. “This opens up a lot of opportunities.”

The Pittsburgh to Erie trail is restricted to hikers and bikers. Low wattage E-bikes are permitted, but horses are not.

The application approved by the commissioners is pending a memorandum of understanding and legal review. There is no required match for Clarion County.

The grant would aid in the completion of the Brady Tunnel. The tunnel renovation project started in 2019 and is estimated to cost $7 million.

Ziegler expects the project to be fully funded by the middle of next year. She said construction finished at the end of 2020 with the installation of a liner in parts of the tunnel.

“The DCNR application, a set-aside application and a multi-modal application would get the liner completed,” she said.

Ziegler said no work was being done in the center of the tunnel because “we’re not fixing something that doesn’t need to be fixed.”

She said the final phase would include asphalt, trail and “moon” lighting.

The trail also incorporates several historical features, including a restored railroad turntable.

“We should have a very busy 2022 construction season and should be open at the end of 2022 or early 2023,” she said.