The Delaware and Lehigh (D&L) Trail is one of the great recreational assets of the Lehigh Valley. The 165-mile network of the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor follows old canal and rail routes through eastern Pennsylvania, and The Waterfront sits with direct access to it on the Lehigh River.
That access came with a commitment. When The Waterfront Development Company purchased three and a half miles of rail line in 2015, it began working with the D&L executive team to close gaps in the trail and strengthen the network along the river’s west bank.
The connection runs through Riverside Drive. The new roadway carries a parallel walking and biking path designed to connect the trail’s northern and southern legs, part of the Riverside Drive Multimodal Revitalization Corridor, which was advanced through a federal infrastructure application to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The Waterfront is tied to that work as the 29-acre district rising where a steel mill once stood, an estimated $425 million development by Jaindl Properties, with a substantial local match committed toward the corridor.
The case for trails is more than scenic. Researchers studying so-called blue space, the time people spend near water, have linked proximity to rivers and waterways with lower stress and better mental health. A trail along the Lehigh River turns that research into a daily amenity for the people of Allentown.
The work is steady and shared. Closing a multi-mile gap on a regional trail takes years, public partners, and patience, and The Waterfront remains committed to working with the D&L Trail to unite the network and keep it growing. The river earned its trail, and the trail keeps earning new ground.
Walk the riverfront at The Waterfront. See the River Walk and the offices. Schedule a visit.
- "How You Can Help To Begin Closing A 7-Mile Gap On The D&L Trail" | Lehigh Valley Live