BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ   WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is under contract to design a 5 mile section of the Delaware River Heritage Trail in Burlington County, New Jersey.

The Delaware River Heritage Trail is to be a 60-mile, multi-use loop highlighting the cultural and natural resources along the upper portion of the Delaware River estuary. The completed trail will link 24 communities, from Trenton to Palmyra on the New Jersey side and from Morrisville to Philadelphia's Tacony neighborhood in Pennsylvania. 

The first section of the trail in Burlington County opened in September 2013.

On behalf of the Burlington County Office of Resource Management, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff will design a new, 5 mile section that will route the trail away from U.S. Route 130 and link the existing 3 mile section on Burlington-Bordentown Road (CR 662) in Mansfield Township with Florence Township to the south. 

The Route 130 Bypass section of the trail will create a connection between key bicycle and pedestrian traffic generators via off-road multi-use trails and on-road accommodations along rural county roads. The new section of the trail will also enhance access to Crystal Lake Park and the Roebling RiverLINE station and improve mobility among surrounding communities. The trail will feature accommodations for walkers, cyclists, and inline skaters; handicapped-accessible ramps and crosswalks at intersections; a paved pathway along an historic railroad corridor; possibly boardwalks over wetland and open water areas; interpretive signage; a kiosk; and nodes to serve as informational centers and resting areas, including shelters, benches, picnic areas, scenic overlooks, commemorative areas and learning walls.

As the prime consultant, WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff is providing civil design, environmental permitting, structural design, geotechnical design, and agency coordination. The firm's scope includes utility relocations, drainage and storm water management, structural inspection of bridge and culvert pipes, geotechnical exploration, a new traffic signal, maintenance of traffic plans, roadway lighting, landscape design, environmental permitting, and cultural resources surveys.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2017, with completion slated for late 2017.