ARTinCC Celebrates the Completion of the Richey Run Bridge on the Bike Trail
- Editor
- 19 hours ago
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ARTinCC Board Member, Dennis Keyes, presents Kim Harris, Oil Region Alliance Outdoor Recreation Manager, and Richy Run Project Manager a framed photo of the original construction of the Richey Run Railroad Bridge.
If you haven’t seen the new Richey Run bike trail-head, on the east end of River Ave., in Emlenton, then you owe it to yourself to make your way to it.
The renovations to the Richey Run Bridge and the surrounding area turned out to be top-notch. There’s plenty of parking, there’s easy access to the bike trail, a park bench, and the area is as nice as it has ever been. This, however, does not mean that the trail from Foxburg to Emlenton is complete. But it is on giant step forward.
The Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County, ARTinCC, received grants for the Richey Run Bridge refurbishment. Kim Harris, with the Oil Region Alliance Outdoor Recreation Program Manager, was instrumental in preparing the proposal for the Richey Run Bridge project and was the Project Manager. Kim did the planning for the project, wrote the grant, and oversaw the construction. The construction project was awarded to Kukurin Contracting of Export Pa.
The Richey Run Connector was financed by grants from the Commonwealth Finance Authority, the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Bureau of Recreation and Conservation with the Recreational Trails Program, the Dr. and Mrs. Arthur Williams Phillips Charitable Trust, and private contributions.
The dedication ceremony for the Richey Run Bridge project was held on June 7, 2025. The event started at 1:00 P.M. with social time, music by Caroline Lowrey and Jonathan Powell, food from “That Place Eatery”, and information booths with the Allegheny River Trail in Clarion County, the Erie to Pittsburgh Trail, and the North Country Trail. The dedication program began at 2:00 P.M. with Dennis Keyes, a board member of the ARTinCC, serving as MC for the event.
Keyes welcomed everyone to the celebration of the refurbishment of the Richey Run Bridge, the ADA access to the northern trailhead, and the paving of the first 700 feet of the Emlenton to Foxburg gap in the bike trail. Keyes then thanked and expressed ARTinCC’s gratitude to all of the enthusiastic support that they received for the Richey Run project. He also noted that ARTinCC has been busy on the Foxburg end of the trail by installing storm-water drainage on the first mile, clearing pathways, and a non-motorized boat launch for the Fox-Hunt Community Park at the Foxburg bridge area.
Speakers at the event included ARTinCC president, Bob Jennings; Kim Harris, Oil Region Alliance Outdoor Recreation Manager and Richy Run Project Manager; Bill Weller, President of the Allegheny Valley Trails Association. Also present were Ed Scurry of the North Country Trail and Ron Steffey, consultant.
Keyes was sure to thank all of the contributors to the project, both financially and to the many volunteers.
