LHVA to build $2M bridge, walking trail connecting Olyphant to Dickson City
The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority will connect Olyphant and Dickson City with an estimated $2 million project.
The LHVA plans to undertake its most expensive project in recent history next year by building a pedestrian bridge over the Lackawanna River that will connect an upcoming section of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail in Olyphant with an existing section of the heritage trail in Dickson City, said Owen Worozbyt, LHVA director of operations.
The project will build a new trailhead with parking for about a dozen cars on South Valley Avenue, across from Rock Street, with an approximately 0.8-mile paved path following Eddy Creek to its confluence with the Lackawanna River and continuing to the intersection of Lackawanna Avenue, Garfield Avenue, South Valley Avenue and East Scott Street, Worozbyt said.
A 200-foot pedestrian bridge will connect the new Olyphant Trail to a 1-mile section of trail in Dickson City, he said. The LHVA completed the Dickson City Trail, which extends from Railroad Street to the intersection of Main Street and West Lackawanna Avenue, in May 2021.
It will also be the longest bridge in the LHVA, followed by a 130-foot pedestrian bridge connecting Olyphant’s Condella Park to the Blakely Borough Recreation Complex, Worozbyt said. This bridge is approximately 35 years old.
Engineers have not yet determined exactly where to build the new bridge along the Lackawanna River, Worozbyt said, explaining that they are digging down to the bedrock beneath the river to take samples to determine the most suitable location.
The LHVA previously sought to convert a century-old mining bridge into a pedestrian bridge at the same location, but those plans fell apart in 2019 when the bridge collapsed, forcing crews to remove it from the river the following year.
The project will use more than $1.6 million from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s Transportation Alternatives Reservation Program to fund construction of the bridge and walking trail, Worozbyt said. The organization also received $200,000 from the state Department of Community and Economic Development’s Greenways, Trails and Recreation program to fund the project’s design, he said.
While current estimates match available funding, Worozbyt estimates it could reasonably cost more than $2 million, which would make it LHVA’s most expensive project during its 15-year tenure.
It plans to issue the tender in March and begin construction this summer. The entire project would take between eight and 12 months, he said.
To solicit community input, the LHVA held an “Olyphant Trail & Bridge Project” public meeting at the Olyphant Borough Building on Monday, according to public notices published Nov. 28 and 30 in the Times-Tribune.
The meeting included representatives from Olyphant, PennDOT, LHVA and LHVA’s contract engineer, Colwell-Naegele Associates Inc., Worozbyt said.
Public participation was a little low due to the holiday, but residents who participated were especially excited about being able to do a walking loop along South Valley Avenue, in addition to having the new bridge connecting the trail to Dickson City, he said.
On Tuesday, Dickson City residents and trail users will have their own presentation at 6 p.m. at the Dickson City Borough Building, 901 Enterprise St., according to a public notice published Thursday in the Times-Tribune.
With the new trail just over the Throop border, Worozbyt pointed out that it essentially connects Throop, Olyphant and Dickson City.
“It’s all about connectivity,” he said. “Being able to connect more and more of these older communities together through trail networks to make it easier for people to get around without having to use vehicles.” »
Projects like this also aim to bring attention to the Lackawanna River and its watershed, as well as native wildlife and vegetation, Worozbyt said. Landscaping will use native plants and the LHVA will perform environmental restoration work while building the trail through the abandoned coal fields, he said.
“When we do this, it’s not just a lead,” he said. “We’re trying to protect the environment. We’re trying to improve the overall quality of life by creating these access points to the river.”
Olyphant Borough Council President Jimmy Baldan praised the heritage trail, noting that it runs through the middle of his town.
With pedestrian bridges connecting Olyphant to Blakely and soon Dickson City, Baldan anticipates the trail will bring more pedestrian and bike traffic to his city.
“When the heritage trail comes, they do it the right way,” Baldan said. “It’s just exciting for our council and our residents that this is happening.”
The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority plans to add a section of the Lackwanna River Heritage Trail with the trailhead located off South Valley Avenue across from Rock St. in Olyphant on Thursday, December 4, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
