Newtown Borough Expected To Move Forward On Pedestrian Bridge Grant

NEWTOWN BOROUGH, PA — The Newtown Borough Council is expected to sign off on a grant application with neighboring Newtown Township that if successful would pay for the construction of a pedestrian bridge over the Newtown Creek.

The municipalities will be seeking a grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority to fund 100 percent of the cost of the project, which is estimated at $877,894.88.

The new span would be built on the site of a former bridge that once carried trolleys over the creek in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It would connect Newtown Borough in the area of Frost Lane with North Sycamore Street in the township behind Penn Community Bank.

In addition to the new bridge, the grant would fund the creation of a new trail that would provide access to the new span on both sides of the creek.

The project, proposed as a partnership by the Newtown Creek Coalition, is designed to provide a safe, recreational connection across Newtown Creek, fill in a missing link in the local trail system, and provide a safer alternative for walkers and bikers to cross the creek.

Up until 2016, residents had the option of crossing the creek using a pedestrian bridge located off of North State Street. That bridge, however, located on private property was shut down after it fell into disrepair and became a liability for the property owner.

In late 2019, just months before the pandemic, the township supervisors and the borough council approved resolutions supporting the concept and working with each other and the Newtown Creek Coalition to explore the feasibility of the project.

After being sidelined by the pandemic, Mike Sellers, of the Newtown Creek Coalition, resurrected the idea last fall with appearances before the board of supervisors and the borough council.

Earlier this year, both municipalities authorized their engineers to begin working together on the project and to begin pursuing grant opportunities.

The Newtown Borough Council anticipates approving a resolution in October supporting Newtown Township's grant application for the project.