Northampton Bikeway stretch of rail trail closing for resurfacing

A view of the section of the Mass Central Rail Trail to be closed for 30 days starting Oct. 28 and an alternative detour to the path.

A view of the section of the Mass Central Rail Trail to be closed for 30 days starting Oct. 28 and an alternative detour to the path. NORTHAMPTON DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

A cyclist makes his way towards Look Memorial Park on the Northampton Bikeway, which is closing for repairs.

A cyclist makes his way towards Look Memorial Park on the Northampton Bikeway, which is closing for repairs. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Robin Torrey, Beth Brennan and Stephanie Pick walk down the Northampton Bikeway from the Look Memorial Park rotary toward Bardwell Street. The bikeway is closing for repairs. “We walk this every day. We need this; it’s part of our mental health,” said Pick.

Robin Torrey, Beth Brennan and Stephanie Pick walk down the Northampton Bikeway from the Look Memorial Park rotary toward Bardwell Street. The bikeway is closing for repairs. “We walk this every day. We need this; it’s part of our mental health,” said Pick. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

Robin Torrey, Beth Brennan and Stephanie Pick walk down Northampton Bikeway from the Look Memorial Park rotary towards Bardwell Street. The bikeway is closing for repairs. “We walk this every day, we need this, it’s part of our mental health,” said Pick.

Robin Torrey, Beth Brennan and Stephanie Pick walk down Northampton Bikeway from the Look Memorial Park rotary towards Bardwell Street. The bikeway is closing for repairs. “We walk this every day, we need this, it’s part of our mental health,” said Pick. STAFF PHOTO/CAROL LOLLIS

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL

Staff Writer

Published: 10-23-2024 6:23 PM

A 2.5-mile section of the Mass Central Rail Trail will be closed for 30 days beginning on Oct. 28 for construction work, the first such repair work done on the section since the trail’s beginning more than 40 years ago.

The stretch of trail, known as the Northampton Bikeway, extends from the rotary in front of Look Memorial Park all the way to the King Street plaza that’s home to Stop & Shop and Tandem Bagel Co. The entirety of the trail extends for more than 100 miles all the way to Boston, though only 60 miles of it are open to the public.

Carolyn Misch, the city of Northampton’s director for planning and sustainability, said the repairs will improve pavement as well as curbing and signage on the trail.

According to Misch, the project will begin with trimming of the tree canopy to make way for construction, followed by a grinding of the current pavement to replace it with fresh asphalt.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Misch said. “It [the trail] has been falling apart for a few years.”

Misch said the timing of the construction, in the middle of the fall season, was the best time to close the trail, with colder temperatures reducing the number of people using the path, while the work should be able to be finished before asphalt plants close for the season, usually around mid-November.

The project is mainly funded through a $500,000 MassTrails grant, according to the city.

“While it is never convenient to temporarily close an artery of transportation and recreation, I urge residents to avoid this area for safety reasons and to let our contractors complete their work without interruption so that we can reopen the trail as soon as possible,” Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra said in the statement.

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The city’s website has a map of the section trail to be closed and a detour path that goes from North Main Street through Locust Street and Prospect Street. Misch noted there are other alternative routes, such as going behind Cooley Dickinson Hospital.

“People can choose whatever path they feel safest on,” Misch said.

Alexander MacDougall can be reached at amacdougall@gazettenet.com.