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Philly pedestrians and cyclists will finally have easy access to the Schuylkill Crossing Swing Bridge that will connect Bartram’s Garden and Grays Ferry Crossing.
The Schuylkill Crossing will be unveiled by city officials and the Schuylkill River Development Corporation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Grays Ferry Crescent Esplanade on Nov. 13 from 2 to 4 p.m.
The bridge is scheduled to be open to the public after 3 p.m. and there will be treats and a chance to pick up a free Schuylkill Crossing sweatshirt at the event.
The addition of the bridge connects the two ends of the Schuylkill Banks and adds a 1,000-foot trail segment that extends the Schuylkill River Trail to 4.7 miles of continuous path.
Pedestrians and cyclists previously had to use the Grays Ferry Avenue Bridge to get across the river, in a barrier separated lane alongside four lanes of highway traffic.
The bridge will be able to pivot on a center swing bridge truss that will allow tall ships to pass by along the river when needed.
A 650-foot cable bridge connecting Center City with the Grays Ferry neighborhood was added to the trail back in May 2025.
On Nov. 14, the Saturday after the Schuylkill Crossing opens, there will be a community celebration to explore the new pathway hosted by the Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Bartram’s Garden, Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, WeWalk PHL and the East Coast Greenway Alliance.
Events during that community event will start at Bartram’s Garden and will include a community walk along Bartram’s Mile to the swing bridge from 10 to 11 a.m. and guided bike tours at the top of every hour from 11 a.m to 2 p.m.
