Public fishing dock opens Monday with festival at Aspinwall Riverfront Park
A public, handicapped-accessible fishing dock opened July 2 in Aspinwall with a festival along the Allegheny River.
“Bill's Fishing Dock” was constructed at Aspinwall Riverfront Park, the 10-acre site at 285 River Ave., just off Freeport Road.
It was paid for through a donation from the estate of Crafton native William Cadwallader, along with support from the Hillman Foundation.
Cost of the project was not released by park Executive Director Susan Crookston, who said “the gift is transformative and will allow people to connect to the river in a really unique way.”
Cadwallader was a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who retired as a master mechanic from Duquesne Light Company. He passed away in 2017. His niece and executor, Robin Durr, said he spent much of his free time outdoors.
Durr has been involved in the creation of the park since its inception.
Cadwallader's love of nature and of fishing made the donation a fitting choice, she said.
“Bill would be so happy about having this project become a reality and would be thrilled that so many more people will be able to enjoy the river,” Durr said. “He lived simply, and it's wonderful that his legacy as an outdoorsman will be carried on in this way.”
The donation also paid for the mobile kayaking fleet operated at the park by Venture Outdoors. It enables the group to connect local residents to the water in a way previously unavailable, Executive Director Joey-Linn Ulrich said.
Crookston said construction of the dock stayed true to the park's design. It features hanging chairs over a section of mesh flooring, which allows park visitors to look into the water while they are swinging, Crookston said.
The dock also features a flyover segment where people can walk out over the river.
“There will be nowhere else like this on the river,” she said.
The handicapped-accessible gangway can be locked when the park is closed.
For more, visit aspinwallriverfrontpark.org.
Tawnya Panizzi is a staff writer for the Tribune-Review. Reach her at tpanizzi@tribweb.com, 412-782-2121 or via Twitter @tawnyatrib.
