Local, county and state officials gathered Thursday to formally open the third phase of the Chester County Trail. Steve Soles, Chairman, West Whiteland Township Board of Supervisors; Chester County Commissioner Kathi Cozzone; PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Ellen Ferretti; Chester County Commissioner Terence Farrell; Dave Stauffer, Capital Projects Coordinator, and Steve Fromnick, Director, Chester County Facilities and Park
EXTON — The Chester County Board of Commissioners and the State Secretary for the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PaDCNR), along with West Whiteland Township supervisors officially opened phase three of the Chester Valley Trail Thursday. Phase three is approximately 1.2 miles and extends west from the Exton Park site on Church Farm Lane to Iron Lake Boulevard and the Main Street at Exton retail area.
Speaking from the Trail’s Exton Park trailhead, Commissioners Kathi Cozzone and Terence Farrell acknowledged all parties that contributed to the design and construction of this latest section of the Chester Valley Trail. They also thanked PaDCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti for the $500,000 contribution made by the State through its Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, which supported the completion of phase three.
“While it may be shorter in distance than the first two sections of the Trail, the completion of phase three is a vital link in the Chester Valley Trail project,” said Commissioner Kathi Cozzone. “It connects sections of the existing trail on both sides of Route 100 and runs through corporate park buildings and shopping centers as well as providing even more neighborhood access.”
The addition of phase three brings the total length of the Chester Valley Trail in Chester County to 13.5 miles. The project included the rebuilding of approximately half a mile of an unpaved demonstration trail section between Ship Road and the Exton Park site, and a signalized trail crossing of Business Route 30 and North Ship Road.
Commissioner Terence Farrell thanked the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission for securing a further $500,000 grant of William Penn Foundation funding for the construction of phase three. “We know that hundreds of thousands of people use the Chester Valley Trail every year, and as it expands, so too does the number of people using it for commuting as well as for recreation.
“We also recognize the supervisors and staff at West Whiteland Township for their cooperation and support throughout this construction process, and especially thank the supervisors for allowing the municipal building site to be an official trailhead area.”
PaDCNR Secretary Ellen Ferretti added: “Our department is proud to partner in projects such as this in Chester County as we know the commitment and the interest is here. Recent survey data shows trails ranked as the number one recreational interest among Pennsylvanians right now, and people want them close to home.
“Pennsylvania has thousands of miles of trails available to connect citizens with the wonders of the outdoors. Built through partnerships with local communities and stakeholders, they offer opportunities for fitness and stewardship, and connections to the great outdoors.”
Another section of the Chester Valley Trail, Phase 4a will be approximately one mile in length and will continue the trail from Main Street at Exton west to the Oaklands Corporate Center.
When complete, the final length of the Chester County portion of the Chester Valley Trail will be approximately 18.5 miles, from County Line Road west into Downingtown, to connect with the Struble Trail. From County Line Road east, Montgomery County is working to complete a planned connection with the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown.
Phase one construction cost was $5 million with all of the money coming from the Federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The cost of Phase two was $10.5 million with 80 percent of the money being reimbursed through the Federal Highway Administration’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. Phase three construction cost was $1.14 million with $1 million in grants from PaDCNR and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission.
Publicly accessible trailhead locations to the Chester Valley Trail include Chester County’s Exton Park site, 132 Church Farm Lane, Exton; East Whiteland’s Battle of the Clouds Park, 125 North Phoenixville Pike, Malvern; East Whiteland Municipal Building, 209 Conestoga Road, Frazer, and now, West Whiteland Municipal Building, 101 Commerce Drive, Exton. Additionally, public access to the Trail is available at 1055 Westlakes Drive in Berwyn.
