Schuylkill River Greenways NHA has received $1,500,000 in federal grant funds through PennDOT to build 4.6 miles of trail between St. Clair and Frackville in Schuylkill County.

This non-motorized trail will roughly parallel SR 61, creating an active transportation alternative where none currently exists. The trail will cross the relocated Mount Carbon historic bowstring truss bridge, connect to a large shopping plaza, and pass through the center of St. Clair Borough. The trail will be an ADA-accessible, multi-use trail with a compacted aggregate surface.

As part of the federal Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) program, this funding is designated for projects and activities defined as transportation alternatives including on- and off-road pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and trails that serve for transportation purposes.  

This substantial grant will serve as foundational funding for the Connection of St. Clair Borough to Frackville, a 4.6 stretch of trail. The project, which includes an on-road section of trail in St. Clair Borough connecting to an off-road portion that continues for three miles to the Pennsylvania State Game Lands will eventually connect to Frackville.  

“This generous award from PennDOT sets this project in motion,” said Schuylkill River Greenways Trail Director, Julia Hurle. “We have applied for additional grants from DCNR and DCED. Once fully funded, construction of the $2.4 million trail project could start in 2025.”    

Schuylkill River Greenways recently held a public meeting in St. Clair to discuss the plans for extending the trail through the borough, which was well attended by local residents.

“With support from the Rich Family and Reading Anthracite, Schuylkill County Municipal Authority, the State Game Lands Commission, and local residents, we are looking forward to expanding the SRT in Schuylkill County,” said Hurle.  

The Frackville Feasibility Study can be found on the Schuylkill River Greenways’ website and contains specific details of the proposed project.  

Currently, over 80 miles of the Schuylkill River Trail are complete across the five counties of the Schuylkill River Watershed. When the trail is complete, it will connect Frackville to Philadelphia with over 120 miles of multi-use trail. Schuylkill River Greenways is the non-profit organization that has been tasked with completing the trail sections in Berks and its northern terminus in Schuylkill County.  

The Schuylkill River Greenways NHA is a non-profit organization with the mission of connecting residents, visitors, and communities to the Schuylkill River and the Schuylkill River Trail (SRT) by serving as a catalyst for civic engagement and economic development in order to foster stewardship of the watershed and its heritage.

Learn more at Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board. VFTCB is a private, non-profit membership sales and marketing organization that actively promotes the Valley Forge area and Montgomery County as a convention site and leisure visitor destination by promoting patronage of its member hotels, restaurants, attractions, and services.