City Riverwalk

SCRANTON – The Lackawanna River, at one time used to dump industrial waste, is getting a new lease on life as the focal point of a major greenway project.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority held a groundbreaking ceremony Friday morning at West Olive Street, where a phase of that project, the Scranton Riverwalk, recently began.

The Riverwalk project has been six years in the making, said Natalie Gelb Solfanelli, executive director of the LHVA.

She addressed a crowd of dignitaries from local, state and federal levels and other supporters who view this system of trails as a major catalyst for recreational and economic opportunities along the banks of the Lackawanna River and for Scranton.

It is part of a national plan to create greenway space extending north to New York and south to the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

It is also part of the Downtown Scranton Riverfront Project, a collaboration between the LHVA, Lackawanna River Corridor Association and Scranton Tomorrow that aims to attract tourism to the river.

The Riverwalk will extend one mile from West Olive Street to North Seventh Avenue.

The section is expected to be completed and ready for walkers and cyclists to enjoy this summer, she said.

A spur trail will connect the Riverwalk to Scranton High School to provide a safe walking route for students to and from school and their neighborhoods, she added.

“This is a real symbol of changes that have happened in ourselves,” Solfanelli said, noting that the city is experiencing a renaissance after having had “an inferiority complex” from its days as a coal-mining town.

And the Lackawanna River has suffered from years of abuse from mine dumping and industrial pollution, but that’s changing, thanks to volunteers who worked to clean it up over the years.

“At one time you never went by it. Now it’s clean and pristine. I hear there’s great fishing,” she said.

The Riverwalk is a key element of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail project and will serve as the “gateway” to the 40-mile trail traveling from Pittston to Forest City, Solfanelli said.

Twelve sections are planned for the LRHT, of which eight are in the planning, design or construction phase.

Four sections are open to the public: the D&H Rail Trail, 9.2 miles from Stillwater Dam to Simpson; the N.Y. O&W Trail, 0.7 miles from Carbondale Township to Mayfield; the O&W Mid-Valley Trail, four miles from Archbald to Peckville; and the Scranton CNJ Trail, 1.5 miles from North Seventh Avenue to Elm Street.

The Riverwalk will also connect the CNJ Trail to the Scranton Levee Trail, currently being developed.

Mayor Chris Doherty was credited for obtaining $250,000 in additional funding to construct trails on the levee, which is expected to be completed late next year.

“Being conscious of our environment is good for the city. It entices people to develop,” the mayor said.

A major goal is to “reconnect people to the Lackawanna River” and that ultimately “every neighborhood in the city can be reached by the trail,” Solfanelli added.

Brenda Barrett, director of the bureau of recreation and conservation for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said this project will serve as a model for other regions.

“Trails are more than for fun recreational activities; they serve as alternative transportation,” Barrett said, adding they help improve quality of life and bring families and neighborhoods closer together.

“It’s about taking an eyesore and making it a great resource,” said Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien. “It’s about everyone coming together … in a bipartisan way. This will be a national model of cooperation.”