Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For Winnipesaukee River Trail

A ribbon cutting ceremony will be held on Thursday October 7, 2010 at 4pm for Phase II of the Winnipesaukee River Trail.  The ceremony will take place near Exit 20 where the trail intersects with Rt. 140. Parking will be at the Super 8 hotel parking lot. The second phase of the trail goes from the Train Station in Northfield along streets and sidewalks until Morrison Ave where it crosses the railroad tracks and runs along the tracks parallel to the Winnipesaukee river until it reaches Rt. 140.  Years in planning, the Governor and Council awarded the Winnipesaukee River Trail Association a grant to construct this section of the trail in 2002.  Once approved the grant was put into the ten year plan by the Department of Transportation and local fundraising began to raise the required matching funds.  As a shovel ready project in 2009, the trail was eligible for and received American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding which was a huge boost to the local fundraising efforts for the trail.

This section of trail was the first “rail with trail” approved in the state. The trail sits in the railroad corridor which the State currently leases to the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad.  The trail association together with the WOW trail in Laconia, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the Clark Family who own the railroad, and the Town of Tilton/Tilton Selectman put a great deal of effort into resolving technical, safety and liability issues so the trail could be constructed. The trail also parallels the Winnipesaukee River Basin Project (WRBP) sewer line and the WRBP and the Department of Environmental Services has also worked collaboratively with DOT and the trail association to move the trail forward.

Louis Berger Group provided engineering design and oversight during construction. J. Parker and Daughter won the bid and have been constructing the trail. Management of the entire project from engineering through construction has been provided by the town of Northfield.

Dick and Shirley Maher will lead the ribbon cutting ceremony. “Simply put, the trail would not have been constructed without the generosity of the Maher’s who provided a construction easement for the trail,” according to trail association president Carolyn Hurst.  Selectman from Tilton and Northfield as well as Franklin Mayor Ken Merrifield will also participate in the ceremony.

The Winnipesaukee River trail will now be a 5.1 mile multiuse pedestrian trail that parallels the river between downtown Franklin and Route 140 near Exit 20.  The 3.1 mile Phase I (Franklin to Northfield) section was completed in 2005.  The Winnipesaukee River trail is part of a regional trail network that will eventually connect with the Northern Rail Trail to the west (Andover, Danbury, Lebanon) and to the east with the Belmont Recreation Alternative Trail (BRAT) and the WOW (Winnipesaukee, Opeeche, Winnisquam) trail in Laconia.  While the Lakes Region Planning Commission first envisioned the trail as a pedestrian alternative transportation route for the congested and dangerous route 3 corridor, benefits of the trail go well beyond this vision.  Rick Silverberg of Health First in Franklin noted “The trail has brought the communities of Tilton, Northfield and Franklin together and working toward a common goal.  Business people see it as a tool for economic development, environmentalists see it as a way of promoting the river and health care professionals see it as a great benefit to promote healthy recreation.  On any given day you'll see young and old, walkers, runners, bikers, dog walkers, baby carriages etc. The trail is very popular with people of all ages includng locals and tourists.”

Fundraising continues for the next section of trail which will link the towns and Northfield and Tilton with a bridge over the Winnipesaukee River.  Alternative transportation grants have been approved and the trail association is working hard to raise the required matching funds.  Engineering on this section is expected to begin on 2011. Upcoming evens include a clean up day on October 16th and a  "Taste of the Trails Fundraiser on October 21The Winnipesaukee River Trail Association is a non profit, all volunteer organization.  Meetings are held the second Tuesday of each month at 6:30 pm at Health First in Franklin.