ROCKLAND — The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control announced Thursday that a section of the Brandywine Trail will be closed until early May for improvements.
This is the first project to be implemented from the recently approved Brandywine Creek State Park Trail Plan.
The path will be closed from Rockland Road to Rocky Run Bridge. The small parking lot at the Rockland Road trailhead will be closed for construction equipment. Closures will be marked with signage, and updates will be posted to the Brandywine Creek State Park Facebook page.
The Division of Parks and Recreation will pave and complete drainage repairs to the trail, which lies over an old roadbed once paved with macadam. The volume of water that flows off neighboring developments over the trail causes stone debris to wash into the Brandywine Creek.
This project is funded by approximately $475,000 from the Statewide Trails and Pathways project. The plan also calls for resurfacing the Brandywine Trail from Thompsons Bridge Road to the state park’s boundary with the First State National Historical Park.
The project also includes surface improvements to achieve a higher level of sustainability for 8.4 miles, or 50%, of Brandywine Creek State Park’s trails. The division also aims to increase accessible trails in the park by 2.2 miles. Other goals are to ensure the trail system is safe, minimize impact to high-quality habitats and reduce erosion and associated issues.
The division will also commence work later this year on a project at the park to replace the existing Thompsons Bridge composting toilet facility with a concrete building. The bathroom will be handicapped-accessible and have flushless vault toilets, engineered ventilation, comfortable lighting, a modern interior and an exterior that fits the setting. Closures in that area will be minimal, limited to weekdays and announced via Facebook.
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