State Rep. Julie Harhart, R-Lehigh/Northampton, announced a $217,375 grant from the Commonwealth Financing Authority under its greenways, Trails and Recreation Program to the Delaware and Lehigh National Corridor for a connector project on the D&L Trail.

"The D&L Trail is a great recreational resource here in the Lehigh Valley. This funding will ensure outdoor enthusiasts will be able to bike and hike along the entire expanse of the trail without interruption," said Harhart. "The D&L Trail has been a huge, long-term project and this funding will ensure a vital piece of the project reaches completion."Funding will be used to install two pedestrian bridges and replace a broken stormwater pipe. The 165-mile long D&L Trail has three physical gaps in the Lehigh Valley between Northampton and Allentown. This project will eliminate the gaps and connect the approximately 7-mile stretch of trail to the completed trail sections to the immediate north and south.The proposed bridge over the Dry Run portion of the trail will be constructed in a way to accept the load of construction and emergency vehicles, and both bridges will be ADA compliant.Funding for the grant comes from impact fees placed on drilling activity in the Marcellus Shale region, which was made possible under Act 13 of 2012.