Chester County cyclists are eager to wave goodbye to the weakest link between America’s best recreational trail and one of the most renowned national parks. A new pedestrian bridge connecting the Schuylkill River Trail to Valley Forge National Historical Park is currently under construction; Sullivan’s Bridge is expected to open this summer.

Sullivan’s Bridge spans the void left by the removal of the Betzwood Bridge in 1995 and replaces the frightening temporary fix strapped to the side of Route 422.

“Every time we ride [the bridge] into Valley Forge, it feels so unsafe,” Bike Chester County leader Amanda Lozinak said in a Philly.com update on the construction progress. “Some of the nails have come out. Some of the wood is loose. When you’re on that bridge, I would not suggest looking down.”

The $9.2 million, 14-foot-wide Sullivan’s Bridge — named after John Sullivan, a Valley Forge major general under George Washington — is not only the solution to that problem but also the latest highlight in PennDOT’s burgeoning 300-mile network of Philly area trails.

Locals like Friends of the Chester Valley Trail Founder Michael Broennle see Sullivan’s Bridge as an integral — and convenient — link for Chester County riders to hop onto that world of trails.

“I was there for the Sullivan’s Bridge groundbreaking in 2014,” Broennle said in the article. “I’ll be there for the opening this summer. I was the first trike to go across the new Manayunk Bridge when it opened in October. I rode over to the Cynwyd Heritage Trail. If it’s about trails, it’s easy to get me started and hard to get me to stop.”

Read more about Sullivan’s Bridge and other Penn DOT trail improvements on Philly.com here, and check out previous Chester County trail developments on VISTA Today here.