Portion of Montour Trail to close for repairs to tunnel
Courtesy of Montour Trail Council
The deteriorating ceiling of the Greer Tunnel on the Montour Trail in Peters Township will undergo major renovations.
Courtesy of Montour Trail Council
The 110-year-old Greer Tunnel on the Montour Trail is undergoing major renovations.
Karen Mansfield/Observer-Reporter
The Greer Tunnel, at mile 28.7 on the Montour Trail, will close starting July 17.
Starting July 17, the Greer Tunnel on Montour Trail will close for about 3 1/2 months while repairs to the tunnel are completed.
“Unfortunately it will be closed for at least 3 1/2 months, which is the main chunk of the riding season and when most people use the trail, but the tunnel is in need of very urgent and very necessary repairs, and we’re not going to have it open to the public unless it’s safe and secure for all of the users,” said Julian Wolfe, vice president of Montour Trail Council.
Primary contractor Swank Construction of Bridgeville will install a new ceiling liner in about two-thirds of the 235-foot tunnel. The lining will stabilize the existing concrete structure’s safety.
At mile marker 28.7 (nearly the halfway point of the trail), the 110-year-old tunnel has slowly been deteriorating, so volunteers erected a temporary scaffold-and-plywood shield to safeguard walkers, runners and bikers from debris detaching from the ceiling.
In 2022, MTC applied for and received $240,000 in grants to install a permanent ceiling liner – nearly half of the project’s initial total cost – and the trail council committed to contributing $250,000.
But in March, MTC closed the Greer Tunnel immediately after volunteers and contractors discovered that the tunnel’s façade had become unstable.
Emergency repairs and security equipment will cost another $100,000, resulting in a $350,000 budget shortfall for the project.
In the emergency repair, workers secured the tunnel portal facade. The trail remained closed to traffic during the repair, where engineers drilled into bedrock from the side and top of the portal and inserted steel rods that fastened to steel plates.
It was reopened Memorial Day weekend.
During repairs, the Chartiers Creek end of the tunnel and the Linwood trailhead parking area (mile marker 28.4 to 29) will be closed off by fencing for safety until work is completed in late fall.
Wolfe said the MTC isn’t advising cyclists, runners and hikers to use detours around the tunnel because nearby roads are hilly, narrow, and heavily trafficked.
“We are not recommending any alternate routes. We’re recommending users explore other sections of the trail. It’s an extensive trail, so we’re advising they visit sections they haven’t seen yet,” said Wolfe.
Spanning more than 60 miles, the Montour Trail is the nation’s longest suburban rail-trail and in 2021 was named as one of Pennsylvania’s top trails.
It is estimated that 400,000 users run, bike, or walk the trail in any given year.
MTC has launched a $350,000 campaign for the ceiling repair and upgrades at Greer Tunnel. So far, the campaign has raised about $12,4000, or 3% of the goal.
MTC’s largest annual fundraiser, Tour the Montour, will still be held on Sept. 23, with adjustments to the out-and-back event.
“Tour the Montour is still a go, but we’re devising routes that use the trail’s branch lines so people can still get in significant mileage,” said Wolfe.
Riders are encouraged to check the MTC website at www.montourtrail.org to view the new route.
To donate, visit the website or use the QR codes located at several trailheads along the Montour Trail.
Wolfe said MTC’s goal is to repair the part of the tunnel ceiling most in need of a new liner now, and tackle the final third of the tunnel in the next couple of years.
“It’s an expensive project,” said Wolfe. “We’ve been building out the trail for 30 years, and we’ve got 80% to 90% of the trail built, but now that it’s 30 years old, maintenance is an issue right now. We have to look at the tunnels and bridges and chokepoints along the trail and keep them in good shape.”