Work Resumes on New Sections of Farmington River Trail

With spring-like weather finally here, crews are back to work on the newest section of the Farmington River Trail in Canton.

The approximate two-mile trail section from Route 179 at the junction of Gildersleeve to Route 44 near and is due to be completed by early July.

George E. Carpenter, vice president of Bristol-based S. Carpenter Construction said it was a little bit of a slow start this Spring but crews are now on the job.

“We’re banging it out now,” he said.

Last Monday construction crews began grading the base of the old railroad bed from Commerce Drive to Canton Springs, said Jeff Shea, the town’s project manager.

And stump removal is set to begin in the portion from Canton Springs road to Route 44.

A gazebo next to the town’s waste-water treatment plant will also be part of the project once final permits are secured.

And while portions of the new section may look nearly done, they are closed for a reason and are considered part of the construction site, officials said.

While a base layer of paving has been applied to some segments, a final coat is still needed. Other issues include drop offs that need back-filling, fencing in some areas and an unfinished bridge crossing after Maple Avenue. The pedestrian activated crossing lights on Route 179 and Maple Avenue have not yet been activated either.

“All of the safety features for pedestrians and bicyclists are not fully installed,” Shea said.

When the new portion of trail is complete, officials and trail advocates still want to emphasize safety.

In light of that, the Board of Selectmen recently approved Police Chief Christopher Arciero’s request to apply for a $5,000 state Department of Transportation grant to pay for extra bicycle patrols and education initiatives.

“Hopefully the chief’s successful in getting  his grant so we can have some focus on safety,” Shea said.

Funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are being used for the $825,000 construction costs of the new section.

Although it is not part of the current project, the town is also looking into the possibility of extending the trail across Lovely Street and into the upper parking lot at The Shoppes at the Farmington Valley. While town officials, the Shoppes, its owner and the Farmington Valley Trails Council have discussed the idea with favorable response, further study, cost estimates and discussion with state Department of Transportation are needed, Shea said.

While potential improvements that would come if Konover Development Corp. receives approval for a development proposal on the other side of Route 44, mostly involve Route 44 and Lawton Road, it’s a good time to discuss the issue, Shea said.

“We’re trying to put in a request to have them formally look at it,” Shea said. “We have to do a little study to determine the best approach.”

It also brings up the possibility of providing a safe way to cross Route 44.

“Our primary focus right now is to get the connection to the Shoppes but we’ll look at what other opportunities there are to get to the Lawton side,” Shea said.

The Farmington River Trail, which mostly runs along the route of the former Canal Line railroad, connects to the larger Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in Farmington and in theory was designed to loop back to the Simsbury portion as well.

Much of the old railroad bed north of Route 44, however, has been lost to development. Officials and trail advocates are looking at options but many challenges exist in that portion. Some cyclists do use local roads to essentially complete the loop.

South of Canton the picture looks more promising.

The town of Farmington has also contracted its remaining portion of the Farmington River Trail. Due to be completed by the end of September, the 3/4-of-a-mile section will connect the area from River Road in Unionville to the Burlington town line. The $700,000 cost of that portion is being funded with a mix of town and state funds and work is being done by The Schultz Corporation, said Russell M. Arnold, Town Engineer and Public Works Director for Farmington.

From April 1 until the project is complete, that portion of the trail will be closed.

“We are looking forward to having this final section complete for the entire Farmington Valley,” Arnold said.

The new sections will result in the completion of about 10.2 miles of the Farmington River Trail spur and will result in a contiguous trail from Canton to the main route in Farmington. 

“It’s really exciting,” Farmington Valley Trails Council President Bruce Donald said. “It’s going to be an incredible boon to the region.”