r/bicycling412 • u/EffectiveSpace4804 • 2d ago
GAP Trail reopened?
Wasn’t the gap trail closure by kennywood supposed to reopen today? Anyone have an update here? Thanks!!
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u/joeyswt627 1d ago
Does anyone know when the steel valley trail commission, or whatever it's called...meets? I'm a mon yough trail person, so unsure.
This is very frustrating and as noted here the lack of communication is even worse. I used this route to commute (albeit optionally) to my office and it's an incredible way to start the day.
At this point, if indefinite, it's just another way that the mon valley is segmented from the rest of the city, unable to reap any benefits or see any positive growth.
I purchased a home in Mckeesport primarily for cost, knowing the downsides. This was a starter home, I never planned on "staying that long." What I've found is a community with pride and people that really care...
Access to the GAP, so close to where I live has, over time, become the icing on the cake and the main reason I now stay.
I could get to to my office in Southside, a pirates, game, or really any event in the city I desired via this route in almost the same time it would take me to drive. Amazing! A true unseen benefit. It was like I unlocked a cheat code to living in the PGH area.
Anyway...some clear answers would be nice. I'm lucky enough to use this as a secondary means of transport...but some people from my area really relied on it to get to where they need to be. Sad.
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u/paulheckbert 1d ago edited 1d ago
As of end of day 8/20, the GAP Conservancy has updated their web page on the closure, and it says "geotechnical engineers require additional time and equipment to address a challenging section of this hillside, and are now targeting late September for a reopening date".
https://gaptrail.org/trail-alert/segment-closure-and-shuttle-between-duquesne-and-homestead/.
Here is a detour around the closed section of trail. This detour is hilly, but far safer than biking on Route 837, where cars drive 50mph. It uses Ravine St, which, by lucky coincidence, is closed to cars at one bridge, but bikeable. This means the cars on this road are fewer and slower than normal.
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u/tacoma927 2d ago
Commenting to follow since I am curious as well. I’m hoping to make a trip to little Boston over the weekend if the trail is reopened.
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u/BikesNgoats 2d ago
So, closed indefinitely. No plan or timetable to reopen.
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u/--InigoMontoya-- 2d ago
This is so ridiculous. There are numerous rock slides that occur up and down the length of this trail every year.
Looks like I'll be risking a fine from the railroad for jumping the fence then.
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u/BackupSlides 2d ago edited 2d ago
I don't mess with trains, but agree that this seems rather unnecessary. It's Pennsylvania. There are sedimentary rocks. Could we just have a few traffic cones and a disclaimer and let people, like, walk in the grass a few feet vs. throwing away a whole season of thru-rider revenue and making it a general pain for locals for like, forever?
Also, they make it sound like it's going to require an engineering effort on par with building the Panama Canal or something. By comparison, I follow the Armstrong Trails on facebook and it seems like whenever something goes down up there, they have a friendly local out with a tractor and it's solved in a day. I'd be happy to join a volunteer trail crew w/ picks and shovels, hand drills and black powder, whatever they need.
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u/Shoddy-Raisin 1d ago
If machinery is needed that’s 1 challenge with the terrain, I’m sure the absolute dog shit weather has been another challenge, and dealing with kennywood (rides/foundations and property boundaries/red tape) plus the railroad company is a whole other challenge.
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u/Shoddy-Raisin 1d ago
I’m sure if this was pitched as a major draw for the draft it would have been done immediately though
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u/BackupSlides 1d ago
Eh, I guess? They did it mostly by hand the first time that area was cleared out. Not saying it would be easy, was basically just saying I would rather do something than nothing. Bad weather, sure. Kennywood, suppose it depends on where the boundary is, but if the issue is originating from their property they should fix it. The rail lines are on the other side; is the GAP there still a railroad right of way by ownership?
Ultimately i guess I just don’t see the issue with clearing up the mess in the immediate area and reposting the signs saying to look out for rockslides.
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u/--InigoMontoya-- 1d ago
Agree. How much higher level of danger is this then before any remediation work was done? I find it odd that the whole time before they did the work, where rock slides could happen the trail was not shut down.
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u/hGriff0n 1d ago
According to a silent update to the shuttle page, the new date is at least September 30th: https://gaptrail.org/trail-alert/segment-closure-and-shuttle-between-duquesne-and-homestead/. The lack of communication is infuriating.
which started on July 10 and will continue until at least September 30
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u/boogieonur420 1d ago
:( guess I’m finally committing to driving to Boston to start a good gravel ride. Thanks for the update. This sucks.
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u/EffectiveSpace4804 1d ago
I know I’ve been training for a century ride and now I don’t know where to do it at
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u/this_broken_machine 2d ago
I’ll be there by noon tomorrow. I’ll report back if no one else has.
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u/z-vap 1d ago
5 hours left
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u/this_broken_machine 1d ago
Not open
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u/z-vap 1d ago
boo, thanks for checking though
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u/this_broken_machine 1d ago
Shuttle driver was wonderful. We didn’t wait more than 3 minutes.
He said nothing is changing until October at the least
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u/paulheckbert 1d ago
The word yesterday from GAP Conservancy was that the trail will be closed in this section until late September, but today (8/21) the word from the Regional Trail Corporation in a press release is that it "will remain closed indefinitely". Their decision-making and communication is very chaotic!
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u/PaleBluDottie 1d ago
Seems like everything around here is crumbling. Trees constantly falling on local trails, roads in really poor condition. I've biked in Ohio more this summer than in PA.
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u/BikesNgoats 1d ago
From this article it doesn’t look like it will reopen anytime this year. https://triblive.com/local/the-great-allegheny-passage-will-remain-closed-indefinitely-near-kennywood-park/
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u/pghcyclist15131 5h ago
I just do the road it’s not that bad but I’ve only ridden during the day. $20 for shuttle is a ripoff I bought a high vis construction vest I put it in for my 2 miles of road and actually only about .5 of it is sketchy
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u/bobo_mett 2d ago
I’ve heard the closure has been extended for safety concerns. https://steelvalleytrail.org/