Credit: Newtown Township
The Newtown Township Board of Supervisors voted at its Feb. 11 meeting to authorize bidding for the Newtown Creek pedestrian bridge project.
The 170-foot structure will span the creek at the site of the former Newtown Trolley line bridge.
The new bridge will be behind Penn Community Bank between Sycamore Street in the township and the intersection of Frost Lane and Edgeboro Drive in the borough.
The project is a partnership between Newtown Township, Newtown Borough, and the Newtown Creek Coalition. It is supported by a state grant of nearly $1 million.
“The bridge supplies a very important missing link connecting the existing township trails to the east and the west,” said Mike Sellers, representing the Newtown Creek Coalition. “Its significance as a crossing extends beyond Newtown as it is also a link in the overall trail system for Bucks County and beyond to southeastern Pennsylvania.”
The 170-foot bridge will be flanked by 8-foot-wide asphalt pathways.
The bridge deck will be made of a composite material featuring a 25- to 50-year warranty, Sellers said.
Sellers added that the walking surface will use a grid-like pattern to allow pedestrians to view the water and scenery directly beneath their feet.
Features of the design include two “bump outs” on the north and south sides will serve as observation decks equipped with benches.
A pathway will lead down to the creek level, encouraging visitors to linger by the water.
Credit: Newtown Township
With the project, all paths and the bridge are ADA-compliant, featuring continuous railings and full landscaping to guide pedestrians.
Downward-facing bollard lights will illuminate the walkways on the pedestrian bridge at night.
The new bridge will offer views of the original trolley bridge foundations in the creek, which will be highlighted with nighttime lighting, Sellers said.
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A dedicated display will educate visitors on the Newtown Trolley Line, which served the region from Bristol to Doylestown between 1898 and 1923.
