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Chester County commissioners approve purchase of former rail corridor, commissioners emphasize bridge safety
Summary
The Board of Commissioners voted to acquire the former Philadelphia & Thorndale railroad corridor to extend the Valley Trail and said safety improvements will be prioritized for the historic Downingtown trestle bridge after several recent suicides near the structure.
Chester County commissioners voted unanimously May 2025 to authorize the county’s purchase of the former Philadelphia & Thorndale railroad corridor to extend the Valley Trail, a move county leaders said will advance trail connectivity while allowing design work to address safety concerns at a historic Downingtown trestle bridge.
The vote completed approval of Resolution BOC 25-25 to acquire the corridor, which includes the trestle that spans the Brandywine River where East Bradford, West Bradford, East Caln and Downingtown boroughs meet. The board’s motion passed following discussion about using the acquisition to both expand the county trail network and make the bridge physically safer.
The commissioners emphasized that the purchase is intended to allow the county to move into the design phase and evaluate alternatives to prevent further deaths at the bridge. One commissioner said support for the acquisition is contingent on designs that would make it “virtually impossible for anyone to jump off of that bridge” once the county completes construction and safety retrofits. The board directed staff to include safety options in the design phase.
County officials described the trestle as a historic structure visible from Route 322 and noted past informal community traditions tied to it. Commissioners and staff said the site has been the location of multiple suicides in recent years and underscored caution in public discussion while committing to pursue preventive design measures and to pair physical safety work with mental-health resource outreach.
The corridor acquisition was part of a broader consent package approved earlier in the meeting; commissioners approved the consent agenda in a single vote. The procurement resolution and the consent vote were recorded as passed on the record.
Next steps described by staff include completing acquisition closing, initiating the design phase for trail and bridge safety improvements, and returning to the board with construction options and associated cost estimates. No detailed design or funding plan for enclosure or other safety measures was adopted during the meeting.
Votes at meeting: The board adopted Resolution BOC 25-25 (rail corridor acquisition) and approved the consent agenda, both motions recorded as passing unanimously.
