Upgrades To State Park Improve Connection Between Falls Twp., Morrisville

A project years in the making was officially opened on Tuesday morning.

Two upgrades will make a close to two-mile underused portion of Delaware Canal State Park that connects Falls Township to Morrisville Borough more accessible. The first project was construction of a tunnel under the Tyburn freight rail track, a trail that was once blocked by the large embankment, and a more defined trail off Tyburn Road under a bridge next to Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor.

For years, officials have heard complaints about the portion of the state park was difficult to access and maneuver between Morrisville Borough and Tyburn Road. With the new tunnel under the rail line and upgrades near Tyburn Road, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) and The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor officials hope the canal-turned-park will be more accessible.

The project closed two major gaps in the 60-mile state park that runs from Easton in Northampton County to Bristol Borough. The long-term goal is connect the state park to a trail system that runs from the Lehigh Valley to Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County, creating a 165-mile path. The canal trail is also part the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway that runs from Maine to Florida.

Even as officials were gearing up for the ribbon cutting for the upgrades, bicyclists and walkers were using the canal path.

“Today’s dedication is a justified salute to all who worked so long to make positive things happen along this trail,” DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said. “Projects of this scope do not come cheap, but DCNR is committed to closing major existing trail gaps, and bringing the joy of hiking, biking and walking close to people’s homes.”

While there are other areas where some connections need to be improved, including crossing Bridge Street in Morrisville Borough, Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor officials said the canal path is expected to be the longest multi-use trail in Pennsylvania. They also pointed to the estimated $19 million per year in user-spending generated by the trail.

The $2.5 million project was paid for through PennDOT funds, DCNR, the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, and a number of other groups. The trail upgrades off Tyburn Road were performed by state crews.

“Projects like this show how state and local agencies can work together to make needed improvements that connect various modes of transportation,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie Richards. “These improvements connect communities by expanding people’s options for getting where they need to go.”

Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor Executive Director Elissa Garofalo was thrilled the project was completed and heralded the improvements as a win for the community, citing the more cohesive connection it creates for those going between Falls Township and Morrisville.

Daniel Paschall, the Mid-Atlantic coordinator for the East Coast Greenway, said the two upgrades help with the overall vision of the 3,000-mile greenway that travels up the coast.

“Think the Appalachian Trail but in more populated areas,” he said. “We’re really trying to go where people live.”

Shawn Megill Legendre of the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission said planning is underway to make a better crossing for canal path users at Bridge Street in Morrisville. He said that work will make a more connected trail.

More ideas to make the state park more accessible in Bristol Borough and Tullytown are being considered for down the road.

The canal path through Lower Bucks County will also become part of the September 11th National Memorial Trail that would connect the attack sites, according to Andy Hamilton, who sits on that group’s board and played a role in the recent upgrades in Falls Township.

Previous work on the canal path was the connector tunnel that was opened several years back in Tullytown Borough.