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A ribbon-cutting ceremony is set for Sept. 25 to mark the addition of the old Union Railroad Bridge between the city and Duquesne to the county's network of hiking-biking trails.

Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato and U.S. Steel President and CEO John Surma are expected to attend the ceremony, along with state and local officials and other dignitaries.

The bridge and a section of trail through the former U.S. Steel National Works and Duquesne Works are among the last missing links in the 150-mile trail between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, Md., known as the "Great Allegheny Passage."

U.S. Steel donated about two miles of right-of-way for use by the trail, while the Union Railroad and Norfolk Southern agreed to abandon the bridge.

The bridge, just upstream from the McKeesport-Duquesne Bridge that connects East Fifth Avenue with Route 837, once served as the Pennsylvania Railroad's only link to McKeesport; the city was otherwise dominated by the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad and Pittsburgh & Lake Erie Railroad, now both part of CSX Transportation. According to Bruce Cridlebaugh's PghBridges.com database, the 324-foot-long, through-truss type bridge was built in 1890.

It's sometimes called the "Riverton Bridge," in honor of the neighborhood that once sat at its south end, or the "McKeesport Connecting Bridge," after a Union Railroad subsidiary.

According to a posting on RailPictures.net, May 10 marked the last day that a Union Railroad train crossed the bridge.

Rail customers in the RIDC Industrial Park on the old National Works property --- primarily Camp-Hill Corp., which operates National Works' former electric-resistance weld mill --- are now being served by CSX trains.

It's not the only news along the trail through McKeesport. At this month's city council meeting, Linda Brewster of the McKeesport Trail Commission reported that the old MYREC concession stand at Gergely Riverfront Park on Water Street is being converted into a shelter/stop for trail visitors.

About 15 banners created by artist Ann Rosenthal for use along the trail route are being hung by city electrician Tom Rosso, Brewster said.

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In other business from this month's council meeting ...

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Old Municipal Building: The city's former municipal building on Lysle Boulevard is being renovated this month in preparation for leasing space to new tenants.

City crews will be handling the cleanup and repairs, Public Works Director Nick Shermenti told council.

Most city offices have moved to the former National Bank of McKeesport Building at the intersection of Fifth and Sinclair streets, but the municipal building at Lysle and Market, constructed in 1959, still houses the police and fire departments.

Several agencies and elected officials have expressed an interest in the building, but roof leaks prevented them from signing leases. The roof was replaced by a contractor in June.

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Ready for Winter: It's not too soon to be thinking about winter, especially if you're the one who has to put rock salt on local streets to melt snow and ice.

Shermenti told council that the city's salt bin is full, and that he doesn't expect to buy any more salt in 2008.

Prices have nearly doubled since last year, he noted. Although the city is locked into a price of $54 per ton through a joint-purchasing agreement with South Hills Area Council of Governments, the open rate is now $106 per ton through local vendors.

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Retirement: City police Chief Joe Pero reported that Lt. Bill Matuch has retired after 20 years' service on the force. He will be honored at an upcoming council meeting, city officials said.

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Cell Tower Plan Shelved: Plans to put a cellular phone tower on the old city reservoir in the Seventh Ward have been placed on hold indefinitely.

On a motion by Councilman Darryl Segina and seconded by Councilwoman Loretta Diggs, an application for a zoning variance to erect the tower on the corner of Beaver and Union avenues was removed from council's agenda.

The city expected to receive about $150,000 in revenue from the tower company, but council delayed a final vote on the application after residents complained about the possible health effects of increased RF radiation.

Officials have promised to meet with residents before any further action is taken on the proposal. Removing the plan from the agenda doesn't prevent council from reintroducing the proposal at a later date.