In 2023, planners from the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and Lower Merion Township investigated the feasibility of repurposing the Mule Bridge as a bicycle and pedestrian trail connecting the Schuylkill River Trail in Philadelphia and the Pencoyd and Cynwyd Heritage Trails in Lower Merion Township. This study explores the bridge’s structural integrity and its ability to carry bicyclists and pedestrians, and what improvements would be necessary to make it a safe and functional pathway. The final report includes a description of the bridge and its history, an inspection procedure and report, structural analysis, and a summary of public engagement around the possibility.

The Mule Bridge is one of Philadelphia’s oldest metal railroad bridges. It was built in 1889 and its truss is made of wrought-iron lattice. In 2017, a train crossed the bridge for the last time. The bridge is owned by Norfolk Southern railway.