City officials and trail boosters broke ground on Phase IV’s construction in September 2021 after approximately a decade’s worth of planning and easement negotiations. (Map courtesy of the City of New Haven)
Concrete has been poured and hard-hatted construction workers are busy on site, but the final downtown stretch of New Haven, Conn.'s Farmington Canal Heritage Trail will not be complete until the fall, due to a mandatory break to accommodate summer camps in an adjacent park.
According to the New Haven Independent, the ongoing construction of Phase IV of the canal trail includes the paving and landscaping of the below-grade section of the project, which is opened to the public from its current terminus on Temple Street down to Grove Street.
The pathway is designed to rise to at-street level beyond the Grove Street garage and snake its way down to an already-built protected bike lane on Water Street, Brewery Street and Long Wharf Drive.
City officials and trail boosters broke ground on Phase IV's construction in September 2021 after approximately a decade's worth of planning and easement negotiations. At the time, the completion goal for that part of the work was slated for December 2022.
Lots of Construction to Be Done Before Fall Finish
The Independent reported recently that at the latest monthly online meeting of the Downtown-Wooster Square Community Management Team on April 18, attendee and resident Charles Musser asked the New Haven city officials present about the latest news concerning the long-in-the-works project.
"The canal trail that they've been working on at Grove and Orange has been going on forever," he said, adding that he regarded the intersection as "somewhat dangerous" because a northside stretch of sidewalk on Grove that is still partially closed to pedestrians.
"It has been [closed] a long time," acknowledged Kathleen Krolak, a city economic development officer. "I don't think that it's supposed to be complete until the fall."
Farmington Canal advocate Aaron Goode gave a more detailed update about Phase IV — from his understanding — including that its construction is now scheduled to be complete in the fall.
"[Construction crews] have to stop work for several months during the summer to accommodate the summer camps that use the Park of the Arts behind Audubon Street — a condition of the construction easement agreements," he noted. "However, they might be able to continue work on the ramp at the southern end [where the sidewalk is closed on Grove] and could possibly finish that sooner."
In response to a request for comment by the Independent, New Haven Plan Director Laura Brown confirmed the expected fall finish date — and laid out more details on the work that has already taken place, and what is still to come.
"Phase IV of the Farmington Canal from Temple Street to the terminus at Canal Dock continues this spring," Brown wrote in an email to the local news source.
"Concrete has been poured in the tunnel and the canal bed, ramps are [under] construction within Park of the Arts, and interpretive elements within the tunnel are in fabrication. Work within the Park of the Arts will pause this summer due to commitments to summer programming within the park. During this time construction will concentrate at The Foundry entrance off Whitney, on finish work within the tunnel, and at the gateway entry between the Grove Street Garage and Sitar restaurant."
She added, however, that the new section "cannot be opened in phases due to construction and liability issues related to active construction zones."
Still, Brown noted the city eagerly anticipates its opening ceremony later this year for the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail in downtown New Haven, and assures that the city will send announcements once a firm date has been set.
Farmington Canal Trail Runs Between Two States
The entire length of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail stretches approximately 84 mi. from Northampton, Mass., to New Haven. Upon completion it will continue through Wooster Square and lead all the way to Long Wharf pier. The completion of this greenway will give people the ability to bike, walk, or run through the heart of the city.
The Phase IV greenway extension's below grade section will include interpretive displays, raised concrete boardwalks, ramps, stairs, illumination and specialized architectural elements. Once the trail rises to Grove Street, the on-road portion of the trail utilizes Grove and Olive Street, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and bicycles in marked lanes. Cyclists will transition to a specialized track once on Water Street, where Olive Street intersects.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) has built the cycle track from Water and Brewery Streets to Sargent Drive and Canal Dock Road as part of the Q-Bridge project. This area of New Haven Harbor was the historic terminus of the Farmington Canal, where freight was transferred over the years from canal barges to sailing vessels, steam ships and rail cars.
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