Williamstown-N. Adams Bike Trail Project Pushed Back Another Year
Construction of the Williamstown-North Adams bike trail has been pushed back one year, again.
iBerkshires.com reports the Metropolitan Planning Organization agreed to push the project into the fiscal 2020. The trail construction had been scheduled for fiscal 2017 and then was pushed into the next fiscal cycle each following year.
According to Steve Woelfel of the state Department of Transportation, the project was two separate pieces — the Williamstown side and the North Adams side. A contractor was hired to do the engineering and design work for each portion. The Williamstown portion was eyed to be ready for fiscal 2019 and the mile-long North Adams piece for 2020.
Woelfle said the decision was made to hold off bidding the Williamstown project until the North Adams section is ready so there would be only one contractor and one contract on the project.
The project is now scheduled to be put to bid for construction at the same time the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail is expected to be extending into Pittsfield — providing a large amount of additional bike trail. An eventual connection between the Ashuwilticook Rail Trail and the Mohawk Bike Path is still years off. The next northern expansions of the Ashuwilticook is eyed for 2022, which will bring it to Hodges Cross Road in North Adams.