Magnolia At Grade Crossing
The Kennett Trails Alliance (KTA), East Penn Railroad (ESPN) and Kennett Township have partnered to solve a longstanding problem — how pedestrians and cyclists can safely cross ESPN’s mainline in the area of Herb Pennock Park — by constructing an at-grade, pedestrian crossing on the northeast side of the park.
WHERE
The Magnolia grade crossing will cross the East Penn Railway at Pennock Park, along the west branch of the Red Clay Creek. On the north side of the railroad, private developer Kennett Business Park LP has agreed to extend the trail to Mill Road in Kennett Borough.
With the ongoing development of the Parrish Trail, Kennett Bike Park, and the Chandler Mill Greenway in Kennett Township, over 2.8 miles of trail will be completed, with residents being able to walk or bike from downtown Kennett Borough all the way to Chandler Mill Preserve.
STATUS: IN DESIGN
Project work to be completed includes:
Construction of at grade pedestrian crossing.
Construction and rehabilitation of two rail sidings, allowing ESPN to tie down trains off the main line between Kennett township and borough.
Construction and paving of new ADA accessible pathways extending to Mill Road in Kennett Borough.
Completion of Kennett Greenway segment linking to Kennett Borough and Herb Pennock Park.
Continued future connections to Parrish Trail, Kennett Bike Park, and the Chandler Mill Greenway.
CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE
December, 2023:
Grant Award
TBD
Grand Opening
TBD
Construction
Project Partners
Project Support
Grant funding to construct the rail sidings and crossing comes from PennDOT’s Rail Transportation Assistance Program. Kennett Township has pledged $268,500 in match funding to make the project feasible. Additional support for trail construction is being provided by the Kennett Trails Alliance.