- Blackstone River Bikeway
The Blackstone River Bikeway is a planned convert|48|mi|km|sing=on paved
rail trail defining the course of theEast Coast Greenway through theBlackstone Valley fromWorcester, Massachusetts toProvidence, Rhode Island .Approximately convert|9|mi|km of the trail has been completed in
Rhode Island , connecting the communities of Woonsocket, Lincoln, Cumberland and Manville. convert|2.5|mi|km of completed trail inMassachusetts connect Worcester and Millbury.The path follows follows the right-of-way of the old
Providence and Worcester Railroad and its predecessor, theBlackstone Canal , running alongside theBlackstone River . Once constructed, the bikeway will be linked to theEast Bay Bike Path , for an additional convert|14.5|mi|km of trail toBristol, Rhode Island .History
In 1985, the Blackstone River Valley
National Heritage Corridor (known after 1999 as theJohn H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor) was designated by theUnited States Congress , following the path of the Blackstone River from Providence to Worcester.Rhode Island
In 1997, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management and Department of Transportation began work on the first Rhode Island segment, from Lincoln to Ashton. [http://www.dem.ri.gov/news/1997/pr/0905971.htm] This segment was completed in 1998. A second Rhode Island segment was completed in 2002, from Ashton to Manville. [http://www.dem.ri.gov/news/2002/pr/0606021.htm] In August 2007, a bridge reconstruction project at Martin Street was completed, ending a three-year bike path closure. The new bridge also incorporated a major safety improvement for the path with the path passing underneath Martin Street instead of meeting it at grade. In November 2007, a convert|2|mi|km|sing=on extension from Manville to the Woonsocket Water Treatment Plant was opened. The path is about convert|9|mi|km long as of late 2007-early 2008. RIDOT expects convert|1.4|mi|km of trail on the northern end of the bike path (built cooperatively with the City of Woonsocket) will open in 2008. Additionally, a convert|1|mi|km|sing=on segment from Lonsdale to Valley Falls, which includes more than convert|500|ft|m of boardwalk over part of the Lonsdale Marsh, may also open in 2008. With those new segments, total mileage would be convert|11.4|mi|km. Additional segments are under design to extend the path further through Woonsocket toward the Massachusetts border and south into Central Falls and Pawtucket.
Massachusetts
In 1996, a study undertaken by the
Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) and theMassachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (known at the time as theDepartment of Environmental Management ) produced a plan for seven segments of trail linking Worcester withBlackstone, Massachusetts and the Rhode Island border.# Blackstone to Millville (2.92 miles)
# Millville to Uxbridge (3.30 miles)
# Uxbridge to Northbridge (9.09 miles)
# Northbridge to Grafton (1.39 miles)
# Grafton to Millbury via Sutton (6.02 miles)
# Millbury to Worcester (4+ miles)
# Worcester (2.61 miles)Construction was delayed due to a lack of state funds, a shortfall attributed to the over-budget "Big Dig" highway tunnel project in Boston. [http://www.ltolman.org/99arch/516blackstone.htm] In 2005, the first convert|2.5|mi|km|sing=on segment, from Worcester to Millbury, was opened to the public.
External Links
* [http://wikiwalki.com/trails/view/old_620_________ Part of the trail in Rhode Island on a Google Map]
References
* [http://www.blackstoneriverbikeway.com Blackstone River Bikeway site by the Blackstone Valley Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.riparks.com/blacksto.htm Blackstone River Bikeway at Rhode Island State Parks]
* [http://www.rigreenways.org/paths/bs-data.htm Blackstone River Bikeway at Greenways Alliance of Rhode Island]
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