A new swing bridge over the Schuylkill River just south of the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge is scheduled to open on November 13 at 2 p.m., finally closing a missing link in Philadelphia's trail network after years of setbacks. The 1,000-foot span, known as Schuylkill Crossing, will connect Bartram's Garden and Grays Ferry, giving pedestrians and cyclists an off-road path between Southwest Philadelphia and Center City.
The bridge is scheduled to open on the date and time reported by NBC10 Philadelphia, which notes the crossing will link 1.4 miles of trail to the south with seven miles of trail running north through Center City. The Schuylkill River Trail itself stretches roughly 70 miles to Riverfront Park in Reading, with a small gap remaining in Manayunk, according to the same report. Once open, the project is expected to become an attraction along the city's riverfront, per NBC10's reporting.
According to Schuylkill Banks, the project page had described the crossing as under construction with a projected opening in fall 2026, and it describes the span as the final link needed to create an entirely off-road pedestrian and cyclist route between Southwest Philadelphia and more than seven trail miles to the north. The organization also says the bridge is intended to meet ADA requirements and provide easier river crossing access for walkers and cyclists.
How the Swing Mechanism Works
The center of the bridge holds about 60,000 pounds of steel on its pivot, according to NBC10's reporting, and the span operates by swinging around that central pivot using a mechanical system. A bridge operator activates the movement using a control panel, and gates stop pedestrians from crossing while the bridge opens or closes, a process that takes about three minutes. A warning system that includes sounds, a bell, and an air horn alerts trail users before the swing begins, per the outlet.
The swing design matters because the center truss will be able to pivot open when tall ships need to navigate through the area, Schuylkill Banks notes. It replaces a railroad swing bridge that stood at the site for more than 100 years before it was demolished in 2018, as NBC10 reported. Schuylkill Banks separately notes that the former 1901 PW&B Swing Bridge, listed as Bridge No. 31, was being dismantled in July 2018.
A Project Beset by Storms and a Barge Strike
The bridge's path to completion was anything but smooth. NBC10 reports that construction faced multiple delays, and earlier coverage fills in some of what went wrong. A 2023 report from The Philadelphia Inquirer said the bridge was initially slated to open in 2019 and, at that point, likely would not open until summer 2024.
Among the culprits: a tarp covering the bridge truss caught wind during a storm, according to Joseph Syrnick, who told the Inquirer it “actually bent some of the parts.” A barge named Alfalfa also struck the bridge's west pier fender in September 2020, the Inquirer reported, resulting in allegations of property damage. The newspaper said work paused for two years while the city and the bridge's manufacturer worked out repair logistics. A 2025 report from PhillyVoice had projected the bridge would open that winter, underscoring how often the timeline shifted before this month's announced date.
The project's cost has also been reported differently at different points. An earlier Schuylkill Banks blog post put the planned cost at approximately $12 million, while the Inquirer reported an estimated project cost of $13 million when work began in 2018. PhillyVoice, meanwhile, reported that the original construction contract was $15 million, noting that increased project costs were still being finalized at the time of its report.
Final Touches Before the Ribbon Cutting
Crews still have work to finish before the opening, including installing railing lights to illuminate the pathway at night, according to NBC10's reporting. Heather Saeger said she was excited to see people on the bridge, the outlet reported. In April, the City of Philadelphia marked an earlier milestone, posting on X
that crews achieved the “First Swing of the Swing Bridge” as part of the Streets Department's Schuylkill River Swing Bridge project, inviting residents to walk, run, or bike along Schuylkill Banks to see the progress.
Part of a Bigger Trail Vision
Schuylkill Crossing fits into a much larger regional push. Schuylkill River Greenways has a long-term goal of creating a continuous, 120-mile trail from Frackville in Schuylkill County to Philadelphia, according to PhillyVoice's reporting. The bridge is also part of the broader Circuit Trails network, which The Philadelphia Citizen reports spans 500 miles today with a goal of reaching 800 miles by 2040.
The investment along the lower Schuylkill has been building for years. A Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation representative told Hidden City Philadelphia that nearly $100 million in private investment had occurred along the lower river since the Lower Schuylkill Master Plan was adopted. That same outlet reported that the original Philadelphia, Wilmington & Baltimore Railroad Bridge No. 31 was completed in 1901, and that Conrail acquired it and took it offline in 1976.
Other trail investments have continued nearby. A separate, grant-funded Schuylkill River Trail extension was planned to run 3,400 feet along the river's west side, according to the Inquirer, after the project received a $2.5 million redevelopment grant from Pennsylvania. Together, the projects point to a steady expansion of off-road river access on both sides of the Schuylkill, with the long-delayed swing bridge now poised to finally link the pieces together for trail users heading between Southwest Philadelphia and Center City.
