Freeport Trail receives $600,000 grant for pedestrian bridge to connect to 2 others in Westmoreland County
Users of the Butler Freeport Community Trail could have even more trail to explore in the near future, with a planned pedestrian bridge to connect the trail to two other trails.
Plans are underway to connect the Butler Freeport Community Trail to Armstrong Trails and the Tredway Trail with a pedestrian bridge. The move would allow hikers and bikers to cross an active Norfolk Southern track. The bridge would be located in Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County, near the joining of the Allegheny and Kiskiminetas rivers. The bridge would allow hikers and bikers to access a combined 130 miles of uninterrupted trail across Butler, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Clarion and Jefferson counties.
“You’ll be able to ride your bike from Brookville, which is in Jefferson County, to the City of Butler,” said Chris Ziegler, executive director of Armstrong Trails and volunteer director of the Butler Freeport Community Trail.
Presently, the only way to pass directly between the Tredway and Armstrong Trails is to cross the active railway, which has no legal pedestrian or motor crossing.
The bridge project recently received a $607,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Community Conservation Partnerships Program.
Ziegler says the grant is a fraction of the estimated project cost of $7.2 million required to construct the bridge.
“I still need a chunk of change,” Ziegler said at a Buffalo Township board of supervisors meeting Oct. 14. “The first pots of money are always the hardest pots. Getting that first commitment really makes everything else come easy.”
Armstrong Trails runs from Leechburg in Armstrong County at its southernmost point, to Rimersburg in Clarion County at its northernmost point — a distance of 52.5 miles. The Tredway trail is 2.52 miles long and maintained by Allegheny Township.
The planned pedestrian crossing would be near the southern end of the Butler Freeport Community Trail, which runs all the way to Kaufman Drive in Butler at its northern end.
Ziegler said she expects construction on the bridge to begin in “mid-to-late” 2027 if all goes according to plan.
According to a news release from Armstrong Trails, previous funding for the planning and design phases came from the Hillman Foundation, Colcom Foundation and Richard King Mellon Foundation in addition to the DCNR.
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The Kiski station, where the Tredway trail will be built over the railroad tracks and connect to the Allegheny trail Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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The Tredway trail under the route 356 overpass, Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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The end of the Tredway trail at the Kiski station on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Remnants of the old railroad line lead to the end of the Allegheny trail, where the Tredway will eventually connect Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A view of the Tredway trail and train trestle crossing the Allegheny river on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Bicyclists enjoy a cool Autumn morning Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A view of the Tredway trail and train trestle crossing the Allegheny river on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Bicyclists enjoy a cool Autumn morning Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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The route 356 bridge over the Allegheny river a couple miles downstream of the proposed trail expansion site on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A trail map showing the Tredway, Allegheny and Butler trails Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A historical sign in Allegheny Township on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A mile marker in Allegheny Township Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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The are where the proposed railroad crossover will be built on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Bicyclists enjoy a cool Autumn morning Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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Remnants of old railroad ties are visible along the Tredway trail in Allegheny Township Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026, at the Tredway Trail. Andrew Jackson/Butler Eagle
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A bridge, announced in October 2026, will connect the Butler Freeport Community Trail to the Armstrong Trail network. Submitted photo
