Floodwaters that swamped the Monongahela Wharf yesterday did not faze planners of a $2.3 million walkway and bike path along the river's edge.

"Like everyone else, we know that the Mon floods," said Kelly Rabenstein, spokeswoman for Riverlife, the trail's developer. "This is Mother Nature. We were ready."

The wharf was closed for parking yesterday and will remain underwater through this morning, the National Weather Service said.

Work to add a verdant promenade to the dank, dreary parking facility began in March.

The 2,017-foot pathway will be made of concrete with bluestone inlays. Plants and trees will adorn a sloping earthen berm to be built between the path and the Parkway East overpass, graded gently to assist drainage when floodwaters recede.

The landscaping will be done with plants and trees that can withstand several days of being submerged.

The site will have connections for high-powered hoses that can be used to wash away silt and debris after a flood, Ms. Rabenstein said. Riverlife already has made arrangements with the city Public Works Department to clean the trail after floodwaters recede.

The promenade is the first of three phases that will link Point State Park with the Eliza Furnace Trail. Phase one is scheduled for completion this year.

Ms. Rabenstein said the construction schedule also was designed to accommodate occasional flooding, so yesterday's inundation won't set it back.