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South Fayette to pave Panhandle Trail
Happy paved trails to you
South Fayette awarded $130,000 toward paving township's section of the Panhandle Trail
By Andrea Iglar
A grant will pave the way for trail users in South Fayette.
The township has secured a $130,000 grant to help pave more than 2 miles of the Panhandle Trail that lie within the South Fayette borders.
The grant comes from the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development Multimodal Transportation Fund.
The South Fayette trail surface is crushed limestone, with some uneven and washed-out areas. Trail repair and asphalt paving will start at the McDonald border and move through Sturgeon, toward Oakdale. The township will pave as much as possible, depending on total cost and funding available.
Paula Willis, the township parks and recreation director, said work could occur as early as fall 2025 or spring 2026.
“This project will improve safety for recreational trail users and enhance a popular regional amenity,” Willis said.
Activities on the 10-foot-wide trail include biking, walking, running, skating and using assistive mobility devices. Motorized vehicles are prohibited.
The 29-mile Panhandle Trail—a converted railroad line—stretches from Collier Township to just outside Weirton, West Virginia. It is part of the 3,700-mile Great American Rail-Trail, a cross-country route that eventually will span from Washington, D.C., to Washington State.
A total of 2.73 miles are in South Fayette, between mile markers 3.04 and 6.49, including trailheads in the Sturgeon neighborhood and at Mill Street/Scotch Hill Road.
The South Fayette stretch lies between McDonald and Collier, with North Fayette and Oakdale portions interspersed. South Fayette Township maintains the trail within its borders, but Allegheny County owns it.
“The project will result in consistent, smooth and safe paving through Washington County, McDonald and South Fayette," Willis said.
Tim Downey Jr., president of the Collier Friends of the Panhandle Trail, said activity on the Collier portion of the trail—which is crushed limestone—averages 407 uses per day, with a summer peak of more than 600.
“The trail is very popular,” he wrote in a grant support letter. “Resurfacing would be beneficial to all.”
The township’s 2024 Active Transportation Plan prioritized Panhandle Trail improvements to support non-vehicular movement and connectivity.
In a public survey for the plan, 69% of respondents said trails and sidewalks are very important to quality of life in South Fayette, and 47% said existing trails need to be improved.
Willis said in addition to the paving, the township is seeking funding to enhance trailheads, crossings and amenities.
Volunteers support the trail, too.
An Eagle Scout replaced a broken bench at the Mill Street crossing and added three benches between Mill Street and Sturgeon.
A volunteer will plant canna lilies in flower boxes this spring, and a resident will install a Little Free Library on her trailside property in Sturgeon.
The nonprofit Allegheny Land Trust recently conserved 160 acres of woodlands bordering parts of Marshall Road, Scotch Hill Road and Robinson Run Road in the Panhandle Trail corridor.
The $1.2 million acquisition was part of the Panhandle Greenway Conservation Project, which also includes 90 acres in neighboring Collier.
