Westmoreland Heritage Trail officials move ahead with short Export extension

Getting across Route 66 remains the key challenge to its completion, but the plan this year is to get the Westmoreland Heritage Trail about 700 feet closer to Delmont.

Export council this week gave the go-ahead for trail officials to move forward with extending the western half of the trail from Lincoln Avenue.

Construction of the trail’s fourth phase, connecting Murrysville and Export, wrapped up with some state grant money remaining, said Jeff Richards, Westmoreland County’s parks planning coordinator.

“This will extend from Lincoln, about 700 feet eastward,” Richards said. “We want to work in concert with the borough and the master plan you’re developing.”

Export officials are working to create a unified downtown area, centered around the confluence of the trail, the war memorial and the newly built replica of the borough’s former train station.

Richards floated the idea of building the trail wider than 10 feet, citing feedback he’s gotten from trail users.

But Councilman John Nagoda and solicitor Wes Long took issue with extending the trail’s easements, citing their concerns about accommodating parking on both sides of the trail.

Long recommended the easement be 14 feet total and that a series of curb stops be moved farther from their proposed location.

Richards also proposed burying electrical conduit that would run parallel to the trail, so the borough could install lighting in the future without having to do major excavation work. The new trail section also would include parking and trail access that complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Bob Genter of Mackin Engineering said the new section will be composed of crushed limestone gravel. Signs will direct trail users to park farther east, leaving existing spaces closer to the main area of shops and restaurants on Washington Avenue.

Richards said plans for a contract bid package would be submitted to the trail board’s solicitor in order to keep to the timeline for the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources grant that will fund this next phase of construction.

Richards did not say when work is expected to begin.