By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new section of the Schuylkill River Trail -- extending 50 feet out over the water -- is now open for joggers, cyclists, and those seeking a riverside stroll.

Diginitaries including Mayor Nutter cut the ribbon on the new Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk, a 2,000-foot stretch from Locust to South Streets that takes pedestrians out over the Schuylkill River.

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Patrick Starr, executive vice president of the Pennsylvania Environmental Council, says the boardwalk will be a highlight of the trail.

"I think it's a transformative experience.  I think getting off of the land and actually being out over the water is so important," he said.

Aine Doley, a resident of Germantown, was among the first to stroll the boardwalk.

"It's always great to have a variety of different things that you can go out onto for a trail. So it's nice to be over the water --  I really like it," she said.

The project took eight years to build, with $18 million in federal, state, and private money.