FOW project will close upper lot on Valley Green Road in Wissahickon Park

Posted 6/21/13

Parking at the Upper Valley Green Parking Lot on Valley Green Road in Wissahickon Valley Park will be limited beginning Monday, June 24 due to preliminary project work by the Friends of the …

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FOW project will close upper lot on Valley Green Road in Wissahickon Park

Posted

Parking at the Upper Valley Green Parking Lot on Valley Green Road in Wissahickon Valley Park will be limited beginning Monday, June 24 due to preliminary project work by the Friends of the Wissahickon. The parking lot will then be closed during Phases 1 and 2 of the project, beginning on July 1. The two parking lots closest to Valley Green Inn will be reserved for patrons with disabilities and families with small children.

The two-phase project will improve water quality in Wissahickon Creek by helping to meet the EPA Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for sedimentation, improve parking conditions and restore native vegetation. Phase 1 (July 1 to September 30) will involve stabilizing the streambank along the parking lot, and Phase 2 (dates to be determined) will involve resurfacing the parking lot itself. Construction dates are determined by the permitting process and weather conditions.

The project will involve stabilizing 350 feet of stream adjacent to the parking area by installing rock steps designed to dissipate high energy storm flows,resurfacing/restriping the parking lot, repairing broken wheel stops, and replacing invasive plant species with natives. This project is being done in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Philadelphia Water Department as part of the Wissahickon Stormwater Mitigation and Sediment Reduction Project, a collaborative effort to reduce erosion and the loss of forest habitat park-wide.

For the safety of all park users, Park Rangers will patrol the Park during the length of the project and cars parking in non-designated parking areas in Wissahickon Valley Park will be ticketed because emergency vehicles must have access. Park users are urged to bike, walk, or use public transportation to reach the park. Park visitors can also use alternative parking lots in the Wissahickon, which are shown in the attached park overview graphic. A more detailed map of the park, trails and parking areas can be found on FOW's new Map of Wissahickon Valley Park (available at www.fow.org/about-park/maps).

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