Ribbon cutting held for D&L Trail pedestrian crossing at Middleburg Road

WHITE HAVEN — Sen. John Yudichak Friday said the D&L Trail connects the people of Pennsylvania to our industrial heritage.

That connection has improved significantly.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), and Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad announce the completion of a new pedestrian road and railroad crossing at Middleburg Road along the D&L Trail.

The project partners gathered on the trail for a ribbon cutting, marking the official reopening of this trail section.

Yudichak, I-Swoyersville, could not attend the ceremony, but his comments were read by Brad Hurley of his staff.

“The D&L Trail encourages health and wellness,” Yudichak said. “And the D&L Trail promotes environmental conservation.”

Yudichak said the trail also delivers both economic and quality of life benefits to the communities all along the Delaware and Lehigh Heritage Corridor.

“The D&L Trail, quite simply, is one of the best cultural, environmental and economic assets we have in eastern Pennsylvania,” Yudichak said.

In 2018, Yudichak walked the entire 165 miles of the trail as a pledge he made if the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl and to raise awareness about the trail’s value and several gaps that must be completed, including the Wilkes-Barre gap.

The federally designated D&L trail follows anthracite coal’s past route from Wyoming Valley mines to market in Bucks County near Philadelphia, passing through White Haven and historic Jim Thorpe in Carbon County.

Jennie A. Granger, PennDOT’s Deputy Secretary, said PennDOT provided $195,276 in funding for the project that was celebrated Friday.

“This project included an improved pedestrian railroad crossing over the Reading Blue Mountain and Northern’s main line, enhanced pedestrian road crossing across Middleburg Road, and about 500 feet of paved trail separate, but parallel to Middleburg Road,” Granger said.

DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn said her department is proud to support the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor in this important initiative to improve safety and accessibility for D&L Trail users.

“Our department actively works with partners all across the commonwealth to expand trail opportunities for all, and we are pleased to see our friends at D&L make it a priority to connect people to nature with the completion of this pedestrian crossing that will help safely connect a number of communities in the region,” Dunn said.

She added that for over a decade the project partners have worked to update this pedestrian crossing and provide 57 miles of continuous D&L Trail from Black Diamond Trailhead in Mountaintop, to Canal Street Park Trailhead in Northampton.

“This is a major connection into the north end of DCNR Lehigh Gorge State Park at White Haven and coming south from properties of Anthracite Scenic Trails Association and DCNR Bureau of Forestry land,” Dunn said. “Improvements on this section of trail prioritized the safety of pedestrians and cyclists using the trail for recreation, exercise, and a form of alternative transportation.”

As Dunn spoke, several bikers rode by, utilizing the newly installed connection of railroad tracks and the specified area to cross Middleburg Road without interruption.

D&L Executive Director Claire Sadler said the project was a long time coming, but with the continued efforts of many partners, it was time to celebrate its completion.

“Improving the safety for trail users crossing the railroad and Middleburg Road was a priority for us, especially with the increasing number of multi-day bike tours using this beautiful section of D&L Trail and visiting trail towns like White Haven,” Sadler said.

The Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that preserves historic pathway that carried coal and iron from Wilkes-Barre to Philadelphia. Today, the D&L Trail connects people to nature, culture, communities, recreation and our industrial heritage.