Trail design concepts revealed
GREEN ISLAND, N.Y. » Some residents of the village were able to see design ideas as part of the development of a multiuse trail that will connect the Black Bridge Trail and Upper Cannon Street during a recent public presentation.
Village officials along with lead designer Barton & Loguidice hosted a public presentation to reveal some design details with residents for the project which has been several years in the making.
An abandoned rail bridge near Cannon Street was repurposed two years ago as part of a trail system that connects to the northern section of the Mohawk Hudson River Bikeway, but at that point, the trail stops at the Green Island end of the bridge. The project includes a 900-foot extension to the trail to replace the rutted, bumpy and unpaved surface that is usable, but does not include the needed amenities and safety features.
“This project has been over three years in the making,” said Sean Ward, executive assistant to the village Mayor Ellen McNulty-Ryan. “We’re very excited about this project; it’s a great preservation of open space.”
At the beginning of the year, the village interviewed engineering firms for the design
of the new trail section; with the bidding process based more on qualifications than price. Village officials eventually chose Barton & Loguidice as the designer for this project.
Proposed features of the project include a designated parking area, trailhead, informational and historical kiosks, benches, security cameras, lighting and bicycle racks, as well as a scenic overlook.
“The trail will be a multi-purpose bicycle and pedestrian trail and it will be open to the public,” said Ward. “We actually also received a grant from Albany County Soil and Water Conservation District for pet waste receptacles, so we’re going to install them as part of the project too without any extra costs to the taxpayers.”
The budget for the trail project is currently $444,000, with $356,000 coming from a federal Department Of Transportation program, $44,000 from the state Canal Corp.
and $7,500 provided by the Hudson River Valley Greenway. The village is expected to cover the remaining $36,500.
Ward said that he is also excited about another unique feature that will come with this project, which is the views people will have while at the trail.
“One of the more exciting parts of the trail would be two overlooks, that will be built; one that overlooks the Mohawk River and another that overlooks the Hudson River,” explained Ward.
Contractor bids for the
project will be opened on August 1st with the authorization of bid award expected to be on August 7th. Construction should be completed in Fall 2017.