Southwick completed its portion of the bike trail last year.
WESTFIELD – Construction on this city’s long-awaited Columbia Greenway rail trail project is expected to begin this spring and bring bicycle and pedestrian travel from Southwick to at least a section of the downtown.
“This is an important and exciting project for our city,” City Engineer Mark S. Cressotti told the Conservation Commission this past week when he asked the board for the necessary permission to proceed with construction.
Mayor Daniel M. Knapik said Westfield is currently awaiting award of a state grant through the Department of Conservation and Recreation for the project.
“Our intent is to complete roughly one mile of the project this year and then proceed next year to bring the Greenway trail up to the area of the Great River Bridge,” Knapik said.
At least a dozen members of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway were in attendance before the Conservation Commission when project managers from Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc. of Worcester presented plans for the initial phase of trail construction.
The project will included a paved bikepath, 12-feet wide, a parking area at the Southwick line and an access road through a portion of Shaker Farms Country Club, said project manager John J. Bechard.
“This is phase one of a project that will be done in segments,” he said.
Cressotti said the first phase will be completed and available for use this summer. The city must first seek construction bids before the project can begin.
Phase one of the trail is expected to follow utility work in the same area by Westfield Gas and Electric Department.
The estimated $2.5 million utility project involves installation of a high pressure natural gas line from south of shaker road and extend it to South Meadow Road-Ponders Hollow road and beneath Little River to a location just south of South Broad Street, utility general manager Daniel Howard said.
“This project represents the final push of our plan to fully utilize and maximize the benefits of connecting with the gas transmission line in Southwick. Completion of the extension will allow us to bring additional natural gas capacity deeper into the load center of Westfield,” Howard said.
Southwick completed its $4 million, six-mile, portion of the Columbia Greenway project last year and users can now travel nearly 30 miles from the Westfield-Southwick line to Farmington, Conn..