Sunday, August 31, 2003

By Larry Walsh

The long-awaited rehabilitation of the McDonald Trestle, a key component of the multi-use Montour Trail, is completed. And the Montour Trail Council is ready to celebrate with TrestleFest, a five-hour, rain-or-shine event that begins at noon Saturday at the trestle near McDonald.

	Joe Horvath, a carpenter with Alvarez, works on installing pre-cast concrete decking on the McDonald Trestle. Renovation of the trestle will open the Montour Trail to local cyclists. (Andy Starnes, Post-Gazette) Click photo for larger image.

There will be tethered hot air balloon rides (weather permitting), live music by Acousticity, a petting zoo, pony rides, family train rides, food vendors, raffles and recreation group displays. Admission is free, and the public is invited.

The 960-foot long trestle, an imposing remnant of the former Montour Railroad, spans Noblestown Road, Robinson Run and John's Avenue in Washington County. It's about 21 miles from Pittsburgh.

Although most people will arrive by car, Dennis Pfeiffer will lead a group of bicyclists from Coraopolis and Ned Williams will lead a group from Clairton. The latter group will have some on-road detours because several sections of the trail haven't been completed.

In addition to the renovated trestle, TrestleFest also celebrates the opening of another 4.7 mile section of the Montour Trail between McDonald and Venice.

The 50-mile trail, 39 miles of which have been completed, will link Coraopolis and Clairton. The trestle and trail work are part of a $1.8 million improvement project.

What's so special about the McDonald Trestle?

"Although it's not the center of the trail, it's the centerpiece of the trail," said TrestleFest organizer Stan Sattinger, co-founder of the Montour Trail Council and its first president.

"It gives you a spectacular view of the valley," added Pfeiffer, council vice president and chairman of its engineering and construction committee.

"It is the signature feature of the Montour Trail," said Dick Quasey, the council's director of construction who has spent the last year at the bridge.

That's where I found Quasey and three other trail volunteers -- George Gerben, Ken Gregory and Tex Ritter -- when I stopped by last Wednesday morning. They were using a posthole digger, pick and shovel to install a trail sign. The hole was dug, the sign was placed and the hole refilled in minutes.

Their teamwork was reminiscent of railroad maintenance crews once known as gandy dancers. Their name came from the now defunct Gandy Manufacturing Co. of Chicago that made tools used by railroad laborers. Gandy dancers used small, self-propelled carts to ride the rails to work.

Quasey said Gerben, a retired Port Authority bus driver, "bikes his age every year."

That's an impressive feat for anyone, especially Gerben. He celebrated his 80th birthday March 3.

Work was underway on both ends of the bridge when I was there.

Alberto Bustamante, president of Alvarez Construction, and one of his foremen, Don Zahorchak, took a break from their work to say the 68th -- and last -- pre-cast concrete deck panel was placed on the trestle at noon last Tuesday.

Out on the trestle, Erin Zahradnik, Steve Walter, Mark McDermott and Jamie Sawich of Ironworkers Local Union 3 were installing a sturdy steel hand railing. The rail-to-deck fencing will be completed this week.

Bustamante emphasized the trestle will be off limits to the public until noon Saturday.

On the other end of the trestle, where the railing wasn't in place, John Eisenbarth, John Pasterick and Al Jackson of Carpenter's Union Local 2274 were finishing a break when a thunderstorm rolled in.

They headed for their pickup trucks. I ran for the car -- 960 feet away. There's nothing quite like lightning to move you along.

The trail, paved with a smooth surface of crushed limestone, also is open to walkers, runners and cross-country skiers. Horseback riding beside the trail is permitted in certain sections.

To get to TrestleFest, take the Parkway West to the Route 22/30 exit, Route 22 west to the McDonald exit and then Route 980 south to a T intersection at Noblestown Road. Follow the signs from there.

There will be shuttle service from the parking lot.

If you'd like to pedal to the event from Coraopolis, call Pfeiffer at 412-262-3748.

Want to bike in from Clairton? Call Williams at 724-225-9856. All riders must wear a helmet.

For more information on the Montour Trail Council, call 412-831-2030, e-mail info@montourtrail.org or go to www.montourtrail.org.

Hartwood Trail Day

The Pittsburgh Off Road Cyclists and the Pennsylvania Trail Advocacy Group are looking for volunteers to help do trail work at Hartwood Acres beginning at 10 a.m. Sept. 13.

For more information, call 412-767-9910 (day), 412-398-5828 (evening) or e-mail pgh_mtb_accesssubscribe@topica.com.

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