WILLIAMSBURG — After 15 years of planning, opposition, support, votes and plenty of controversy, the Mill River Greenway is now becoming a concrete reality.
Work began over the past couple of weeks on the project, which involves constructing a 2.4-mile walking and bicycling path connecting the village centers of Williamsburg and Haydenville to the Mass Central Rail Trail in Northampton.
The $3.1 million project, funded by a Massachusetts Department of Transportation grant, is expected to be completed next June.
This past week, workers with North Hatfield-based Western Earthworks were digging up South Main Street as part of the first phase of the road redesign. The sidewalks will be replaced with the 8-foot-wide shared-use path. The now-bumpy road will be repaved, and the utility poles along the road will be moved to accommodate the project.
The street may close from time to time, said Nate Weed, a foreman. He added that work on the project will slow down during the winter months.
Many residents along South Main formed a coalition against the project before its approval. They expressed concerns that the shared bike path would make backing out of their driveways dangerous, as they might not see bikes zooming along when trying to exit. The project was even the subject of a screaming match at the annual Town Meeting in 2025. The project was approved five months later at a special Town Meeting, when voters approved, 265-211, to acquire easements on the necessary properties.
Progress on the project can be tracked on the town website.
