Diahoga Trail

Owner/Client

Borough of Sayre

Location

Sayre and Athens, PA

CEC Services

  • Erosion & Sedimentation Control/NPDES Permitting
  • Stormwater Management/BMP Design
  • Clean Water Act, Section 401/404 Permitting
  • Wetlands & Waters Delineations
  • Construction Surveys/Staking
  • Topographic Surveys
  • ADA accessibility and parking design and compliance review

Owner Objective

Sayre Borough, Athens Borough, and the Valley Joint Sewer Authority partnered to plan and construct a trail along the Susquehanna River in Sayre and Athens. The goal was to provide a safe way for residents and visitors to view the river and enjoy outdoor recreation. Many residents already walked near or along the river, but did so either on the road by the Athens Bridge or by creating their own path through the woods. A trail provides a safer way to enjoy and promote the riverfront. Eventually, the vision for the trail is to extend northward beyond the Hayden Street/Higgins Avenue access point.

CEC Approach

The Diahoga Trail is just over two miles in length and runs along the western bank of the Susquehanna River. The project area consists of landscaped roadside, forested uplands, the border of agricultural fields, and open parks, all within view of the Susquehanna River. The trail connects Teaoga Square (Athens), Valley Playland (Athens), Sayre Riverfront Park (including the boat launch), and a portion of the existing Carantouan Greenway (Destiny Kinal Loop Trail).

All of the work that CEC provided for this project was pro bono, except for the permitting, which was paid for by DCNR and PennDOT Multi-Modal grants that the Sayre and Athens Boroughs were awarded for the project. CEC was the designated Engineer of Record for the project and provided consultation to the Diahoga Trail Team and payment disbursement approvals and certification that the project was completed per design.

The completed project now provides residents and visitors an opportunity to safely enjoy the natural splendor of the Susquehanna River in the Sayre and Athens Boroughs.