Rockwood trail entry in line for safety work

BY MIKE FAHER
The Tribune-Democrat

SOMERSET April 28, 2009 11:59 pm

— Bicycles, pedestrians and cars don’t mix well.
So Somerset County officials are hoping to improve safety at a key entryway to the Great Allegheny Passage trail by allowing hikers and bikers to pass over traffic via a new bridge.
It’s part of a planned $1.5 million upgrade in Rockwood, one of the busiest areas on a trail that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.
“It’s centrally located, and it’s almost at the midpoint of our 42 miles of the Great Allegheny Passage,” said Brett Hollern, who coordinates trail efforts for Somerset County.
“It’s also the closest trailhead to the turnpike.”
Hollern on Tuesday received permission from the county commissioners to apply for a $280,777 state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant for the trail project.
He previously applied for a $1.25 million grant through PennDOT.
If the money comes through, officials plan to build a bridge over Rockdale Road. That will allow those using the trail to avoid mingling with traffic as they emerge at Rockwood.
The former rail route that the trail follows previously featured a bridge for trains at the same spot, Hollern noted.
“We wanted to make this crossing safer,” he said.
Other Rockwood changes may include new landscaping, an improved parking lot and a visitors center with permanent restrooms and a picnic area. Officials also want to realign part of the trail and make other improvements, such as new signs, that may help encourage visitors to make a stop in Rockwood.
The Casselman River separates the trailhead from Rockwood proper.
“It’s to encourage trail users to get off the trail and go into town, so people understand what’s across the river,” Hollern said.
While construction of the Great Allegheny Passage is finished, officials expect to continue upgrading facilities and improving safety as trail usage grows.
Farther south in Garrett, a project is planned to route the trail underneath a road to eliminate another potentially dangerous crossing.
“We probably will not see construction (in Garrett) until 2010 at the earliest,” Hollern said.

On the Web
For more information on the Great Allegheny Passage, go to www.atatrail.org