UPPER SAUCON TWP., Pa. — Pedestrians navigating the Saucon Rail Trail will no longer have to take a detour to avoid traffic on Preston Lane.
Now, there’s a bridge for that.
Officials from the Saucon Rail Trail Oversight Commission, DeSales University and the Southern Lehigh Chamber of Commerce on Saturday cut the ribbon on the Preston Lane Pedestrian Bridge, signifying its grand opening. With the bridge in place, walkers can travel from Hellertown to Quakertown uninterrupted.
"Before now, navigating from the Saucon Rail Trail over Preston Lane and through the park was a major detour for pedestrians," according to an event listing on the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce's website. "This new bridge allows the trail to be uninterrupted from Hellertown through Quakertown.
"In addition to ease of navigation for trail-goers, this bridge gives a beautiful gateway entrance to the DeSales Campus, marking guests arrival to the campus."
Construction began on the bridge, situated between the township’s community park and DeSales, in August, several years after the idea for the bridge took shape.
Meeting minutes from the township’s Board of Supervisors’ August 2021 meeting show the licensing agreement between the township and DeSales was approved unanimously, 5-0.
Through the agreement, the college was permitted to install a sign on the bridge in exchange for defraying the cost of the bridge. The sign was installed in November.
An invitation to bid on the project was publicized, with a deadline of Nov. 9 of 2021. However, documents show bids were not awarded until Dec. 2023.
Three different bids were awarded, including two contracts, $694,315 to Flyway Excavating, a Lancaster County contractor, for site work and bridge installation, and $155,000 to Quakertown-based Yates Electrical Services for electrical work.
The third was for bridge fabrication and delivery, not to exceed $520,000, through COSTARS, Pennsylvania’s cooperative purchasing program.
The Saucon Rail Trail weaves through Center Valley for 7.5 miles, joining the Upper Bucks Rail Trail at the Lehigh-Bucks County line. The first phase of the trail, between Hellertown and Upper Saucon Township, opened in 2011.
The Saucon Rail Trail is part of the LINK Trail Network, which includes 125 miles of multiuse trails across the region.
In October, Bethlehem City Council approved the purchase of 11.8 acres from Norfolk Southern Railroad to join the South Bethlehem Greenway with the Saucon Rail Trail. The land cost $4.3 million.