About this Project

The Chester Valley Trail Project aims to provide a fully-accessible paved trail that will be 10-12 feet wide with approximately 66 feet wide right-of-way. Crosswalks with bollards will be provided at street crossings to slow trail traffic before the crossings and restrict access by motorized vehicles. Bridges will be constructed for pedestrians to cross heavily-traveled roads safely. The Chester Valley Trail currently averages 30,000 users per month from April to October. Permitted uses on the trail include non-motorized cycling and scooters, walking, jogging, and inline skating.

The Chester Valley Trail Phase IVa project is in West Whiteland Township and within the Valley Creek Watershed. This project will continue the trail approximately one mile west of the current terminus at Main Street in Exton and provide a connection to Oakland’s Corporate Center.

The trail will be paved, and the multi-use path will comply with all ADA requirements. This project requires surveys, real estate acquisition, environmental permitting, and preliminary and final designs of the trail and structures. AEG is involved with the preliminary and final design of a pedestrian bridge, retaining walls, and the inspection and rehabilitation of a multi-cell culvert.

AEG prepared Type, Size, and Location (TS&L) and Final design and plans for the 140-foot prefabricated steel truss bridge over South Whitford Road as per current PennDOT Design Manuals. AEG also inspected the existing 3-cell reinforced concrete culvert and prepared a condition report. This report reviewed and assessed culvert geometry, existing channel and channel protection conditions, existing wingwall and culvert conditions, existing roadway conditions over the culverts, and the estimated remaining life. The prefabricated block retaining walls were also designed to support the elevated approach trail sections on both sides of the bridge.