New pedestrian bridge under construction at Raymond B. Winter State Park

Construction was underway on a new pedestrian bridge at Raymond B. Winter State Park, giving visitors a safer way to cross Rapid Run and complete one of the park’s most familiar walking routes.

The span is being built between the dam and the Route 192 highway bridge, a spot that has long interrupted the flow of the short loop trail. Park manager Michael Crowley said the bridge will improve the walking experience for people using the 0.6-mile loop, a route short enough to draw families, casual hikers and day visitors looking for an easy outing rather than a long trek.

That makes the project more than a simple upkeep job. At an estimated cost of about $20,000, the bridge is a modest construction project with a direct payoff in safety and access, especially for older adults, parents with young children and anyone who wants to move through the park without dealing with an awkward crossing near the water. Hikers will be able to use it once construction is finished and the span is opened to the public.

The change matters because Raymond B. Winter State Park is one of Union County’s best-known outdoor destinations. The park covers 695 acres, sits along Pennsylvania Route 192 about 18 miles west of Lewisburg, and lies within Bald Eagle State Forest. It stays open year-round and has 6.3 miles of trails, making even a small upgrade one that can affect a steady stream of local and out-of-county visitors.

The bridge also fits the character of the Rapid Run corridor, where DCNR event listings describe the trail as mostly flat and easiest hiking, and where the Rapid Run Nature Trail is presented as a one-mile loop suited to young children. A discovery guide called The Shrouded Forest is available at the park office, the Halfway Run Environmental Learning Center and the Rapid Run trailhead, reinforcing how often the area is used for short, interpretive walks.

Raymond B. Winter State Park carries deep history as well. Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation materials say the site was built by Civilian Conservation Corps workers in 1933, that locals called it Halfway Dam until 1957, and that the park features Pennsylvania’s first stone and concrete dam of its kind. DCNR lists Halfway Lake Dam on the National Register, a reminder that even a small footbridge is being added to a park shaped by nearly a century of public use and conservation work.