Nearly 21 miles of rail-trail have been completed to date. An ordinance was adopted by the County Commissioners on June 4th dealing with various rules and regulations for rail-trail operation and for enforcement purposes. It is now in effect. The County is trying to secure PennDOT funding for safety improvements in 2026/2027 at several street/road crossings with LVRT. A sink hole in the area near the iron RR bridge over Swatara Creek is being repaired by Delaware Environmental Construction Services; the work should be completed by the end of September. A grant will be submitted to DCED in October for a pole building and tractor with a rotary head mower; both are needed in the northern portion of the rail-trail.
Phase 6: The Phase 6 alignment includes the trail through the John E. Wengert Park across from the former Lebanon Catholic School complex (Phase 6A – completed); Chestnut Street right-of-way, county owned land along the Hazel Dike to S. 22nd Street (Phase 6B – completed). Phase 6C will be the partially relocated S. 22nd Street, a new bridge over the Quittapahilla Creek on S. 22nd Street, existing S. 22nd Street to US Route 422 with intersection operation and safety improvements. Phase 6C construction has been delayed due to the finding of a protected species (a plant) in the area, and further studies will be done to determine how to proceed with the project’s construction, hopefully later in 2027. Due to this delay, a federal funding source was lost that must be replaced. The rail-trail on Lebanon Valley Mall property to the S. 25th Street Underpass is Phase 6D. The Phase 6D long-term easement agreement has been finalized with the LV Mall, and a Phase 6D grant application was submitted to DCED in late November 2025 for construction funding totaling $711,388.00. Final design funds are in place for Phase 6D. DCED grant approvals should be announced in late 2026 or early 2027.
A rail-trail reconstruction/rehabilitation project grant application for $1.6+ million was just approved by PennDOT for LVRT south of Butler Road to the Lebanon/Lancaster County line. Design will begin shortly, and construction will take place in 2027.
Phase 8 – Alignment Determined: The preferred alignment is the former railroad bed from Long Lane to the Bunker Hill area. Several easements or acquisitions were secured from property owners and more are on the way. The estimated overall construction cost for Phase 8 is approximately $4.0+ million. Grants will be submitted in 2027.
Phase 10 – north of US Route 22 to a connection to the trail system in Swatara State Park near Lickdale. Phase 10 will include 2.7 miles of rail-trail and a connection/trailhead at Pine Tree Road in Union Township. Phase 10 has been broken into two projects … 10A and 10B.
Phase 10A Construction Project: The project runs from north of US Route 22 to Pine Tree Road, a distance of 0.60 miles. The responsible low bidder was Construction Masters Services out of Reading, PA. Work started in early August of 2025 and work will be completed this month.
Phase 10B Construction Project: PennDOT approved $2.65 million and DCNR approved $750,000 for this 2.20-mile project. It is now fully funded and will go to construction in early 2027. Phase 10B right-of-way is also under our control, and it can be used for hiking and mountain biking. A study to determine how to safely cross Lickdale Road is underway and will be completed in September.
Funding will then be pursued later this year for a safe crossing of Lickdale Road and definitely in 2027 for a trailhead at Lickdale Road and for a trail through the campground to a connection to the trail in Swatara State Park, including wayfinding signs at various locations. We are calling all of this work Phase10C.