CONNECTICUT DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION NEWS RELEASE 2800 BERLIN TURNPIKE P.O. BOX 317546 NEWINGTON CONNECTICUT, 06131-7546

FOR RELEASE: April 8, 2017

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION: OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS TELEPHONE: (860) 594-3062 FAX: (860) 594-3065 WEB SITE: www.ct.gov/dot

Construction Begins on Final Section of Cheshire Trail

Project Will Complete 23-Mile Section of East Coast Greenway

                Connecticut Department of Transportation Commissioner James P. Redeker, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Commissioner Robert Klee, Town Manager Michael Milone and other state and local officials today held a ceremonial groundbreaking in Cheshire for the last link in a continuous 23-mile section of the East Coast Greenway between New Haven and Southington.

                The new section – part of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail from Cornwell Avenue to West Main Street – includes a 12-foot wide pavement and will include a precast concrete boardwalk style structure to cross over wetlands, as well as pedestrian bridges to cross Willow Brook at two locations. Fencing and landscaping will also be provided along the trail as needed. Other amenities will include a restroom, bike lockers, park benches and picnic tables to provide rest areas for trail users. There will also be a 10-space parking lot off Railroad Avenue.

               The $4.48 million project is being undertaken by Richards Corporation of Terryville, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018.

                “It is exciting to get the final link done,” said Commissioner Redeker. “We are committed to completing the East Coast Greenway through Connecticut and this beautiful trail in Cheshire is an excellent illustration of that commitment. Projects like these enhance the quality of life in our state and help ensure a strong transportation and economic future.”

                “DEEP is pleased to add this final section in Cheshire to Connecticut’s growing and appealing trail system. It marks the end of decades of negotiations and the continuation of our successful partnerships with both the Town of Cheshire and the CT DOT,” said Commissioner Klee.  “Importantly, this section will greatly enhance our trail user’s experience taking them off roads and through a safe, unique natural environment that we hope will inspire stewardship.”

                 “We are extremely excited at the near completion of this trail link and especially grateful to Commissioner Redeker and his great staff at the DOT for making this a reality, said Town Manager Milone. “Without their intervention, this trail section, which was expected to be extended in 1995, might never have materialized due to the confluence of major obstacles that we encountered.”

                  Bruce Donald, Tri-State Trails Coordinator for the East Coast Greenway Alliance stated, “We are once more proud to announce the closing of another gap in the 200-mile spine trail in Connecticut. This last piece in Cheshire is historic as one of the more difficult in the state, and as such represents years of planning, the tenacity of the Town of Cheshire, tireless volunteer advocacy, and a huge commitment from CTDOT.”

                The East Coast Greenway (ECG) winds some 198 miles through Connecticut, of which 55 percent – more than 100 miles – has been completed. The state is in the middle of a five-year Statewide Trail Program to fill in the gaps along the Greenway. The entire ECG runs 3,000 miles from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine. More on the ECG at www.greenway.org. The Farmington Canal Heritage Trail runs 84 miles, from New Haven to Northampton, Massachusetts.

                There are also hundreds of miles of local trails crisscrossing Connecticut.