Key Link on the Delaware River Heritage Trail Opens with little Fanfare

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has completed a bridge over the tidal Delaware and Raritan Canal in Hamilton Township. This along with a short extension of the trail completes the canal towpath trail from Canal Blvd in Trenton to 2nd St in Bordentown.

The completion of the project came as a total surprise to this author. Since 2008 plans have been set to connect the towpath with the RiverLINE bridge over the Crosswicks Creek (which serves as the border between Burlington and Mercer Counties). The usual environmental and bidding issues set the project back and it was impossible to nail down a completion date. We found out the hard way, by spotting the trail while glancing out the train window

Despite the low key opening the Bordentown City Enviromental Commission and the Friends of the Hamilton Trenton Bordentown Marsh are planning a couple of walks on the trail this fall. Check their respective web pages for details.

The D and R canal is a major component of the Delaware River Heritage Trail which will be the NJ twin of the East Coast Greenway running from Calhoun St Bridge in Trenton to the Ben Franklin Bridge. Burlington County has let a contract to do on street road markings and signage between Bordentown and Fieldsboro. The work will also include a new trailhead at the Bordentown Boat Launch. Meanwhile planning continues for the next phase from Route 130 near Fieldsboro to the waterfront park in Burlington City.


View 2011 NJ Path Update in a larger map Video of the New Trail