The south Harrisburg section of the Greenbelt was detoured late last year to enable the construction of the Veterans Outreach of Pennsylvania (VOPA) project in support of veterans with transitional needs. While that facility opened in May, the detour remains in place as two additional developments in support of veterans and housing-insecure individuals are being developed.
The first, Tunnel to Towers (T2T), is now in front of the City for approval. The board of the Capital Area Greenbelt Association (CAGA) has expressed its support for VOPA and T2T, citing the City’s critical need for services to these populations. Because these projects sever the historic route of the trail, CAGA is currently in discussion with T2T and the property owners to determine a permanent reroute of the Greenbelt that both respects the needs of their clients and provides the community with a safe, attractive, environmentally sound Greenbelt route through south Harrisburg. Construction of both T2T and any potential reroute of the Greenbelt is expected to extend at least through 2025.
In the meantime, Greenbelt users must continue to follow the posted detour and are to respect the closure of the fenced construction area for both safety reasons and out of respect for the privacy of the VOPA population.