A long-awaited project that recently began will help bring one more section of the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail a step closer to completion. It will be the second trailhead in Emlenton; this one running south to Foxburg, in Clarion County.
At the southernmost section of the Allegheny River trail in Venango County, a railway culvert over the Ritchey Run stream is being restored with concrete improvements, which will make it structurally sound for construction vehicles to move down the former rail line along with future bike traffic, according to project consultant Ron Steffey.
An Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramp, with a 5% grade, also will be laid from River Avenue to the First Street Extension to allow bike traffic to pass through the town more easily, according to Kim Harris, of the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism. There will be a seated viewing area partway up the ramp and one parking spot for people with disabilities installed at the top.
In 2018, a push began with Foxburg resident Bob Jennings reigniting plans to gain access to the former railway, Steffey said. Research of deeds in Washington, D.C., archives going back to William Penn were traced to current day. It was found once the railway had abandoned the right of way, land reverted back to the Fox family. Relatives of the family were contacted, and new discussions for the properties in Foxburg opened.
The ORA leadership, including Harris, who serves as outdoor recreation program managers, oversaw a partnership between numerous organizations and municipalities to determine what could be done to connect Emlenton to Foxburg.
Harris said visible progress was seen by the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. From there, grants became more eligible for the bike trail project; by 2023, the culvert restoration became financially possible as the result of the work of involved individuals.
At the same time, the AVTA was involved as the landowner, and Emlenton officials also were working with the ORA to make properties there available for the bike trail, according to Harris. Emlenton Councilman Doug Bell said the extension of the bike trail “will be beneficial for all.”
Bell also volunteers in Foxburg with the Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County (ARTinCC), which recently secured a $533,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation through DCNR, according to Jennnigs.
The grant will go toward the first mile of trail heading north from Foxburg, which will leave 2.2 miles of trail to complete once all nine property owners agree to an easement through their lands, Jennings said. Five owners already have signed off on permissions.
With the Ritchey Run culvert expected to be completed in July, Jennings said, landowners could expect an easier way to access to their property at the bottom of the valley near the river as well. This section of trail also is part of the North Country Trail, which became a part of the National Park System last year.
“This will be another recreational destination to help bring more visitors to Venango County,” Harris said. “We’re moving the needle forward.”