WESTFIELD – The state Department of Transportation (DOT) hosted a public hearing last night with more than 70 residents in attendance to hear details of the project to rehabilitate the railroad bridge over the Westfield River and provide feedback to the project engineers.
City Engineer Mark Cressotti hosted the DOT hearing, held in the City Council Chambers which was packed with residents, many standing because the turnout easily exceeded the limited seating capacity, and introduced Shawn Holland, the DOT project manager and John J. Bechard, P.E. of the city’s VHB, the city’s consultant for the Columbia Greenway design and construction.
The North Phase, the renovation to the Railroad Bridge and approaches, is expected to cost between $2.2 and $2.5 million and will be funded as part of the dot’s statewide Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
Bechard, who has been involved in the design effort of the Columbia Greenway since 1999, said the Columbia Greenway construction has been broken into sections because of cost of constructing the elevated bicycle and pedestrian walking trail, due to the fact that there are nine bridges over city streets which have to be replaced or rehabilitated.
“This north section is the last piece geographically, but not the last piece to be constructed,” Bechard said. “The project was broken into sections because of the nine bridges which will be replaced or refurbished, which is expensive.”
The scope of work discussed last night is from Cowles Court on the south to Women’s Temperance Park on the north shore of the Westfield River, about 853 feet in length. The bridge rehabilitation includes installing a new concrete deck, measuring 10 feet in width, and an ornamental fence, as well as repairing the bridge abutments and the center supporting pier. The work also includes installation of lights on the steel trusses supporting the space across the river.
Most residents expressed support for the design and construction of that section of the trail, although one did question the intent to spend $2.5 million on the north end of the trail, where there will be very limited use, and not to extend the section between Main Street and the river. That speaker also questioned where the trail goes north from Women’s Temperance Park.
Jeff LaValley, chairman of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway, said that having the north section and the southern sections completed will give the city greater leverage when seeking additional state and federal funding to complete the rail trail construction project.
Cressotti said that the city is waiting for Southampton to complete its design for the rail trail before considering how to link that project to the city’s rail trail. Cressotti said Southampton has several design options and locations for connecting to Westfield. One option for the Southampton rail trail is along Brickyard Road, which in Westfield is Root Road. However, the Southampton trail could also link with either Russellville Road or Wyben Road.
LaValley said the goals of the Friends group is to foster a healthy and active lifestyle for residents of the city and surrounding communities, to vitalize the local economy, and to satisfy the need for safe, viable, active and equitable forms of (alternative) transportation.
Bill Rose of the Westfield River Watershed Association suggested that the rail trail design includes raised pedestrian walks because of a serious collision between a pedestrian and bicyclist.
“Elevate the walkway for pedestrian to we don’t have to worry about being hit by a bicyclist,” Rose said.
Dan Call, a former City Council member currently living in Southwick where he is a member of the town’s Park and Recreation Commission, which completed the rail trail through that community in 2013, said the trail is all about connectivity.
“It connects south to Southwick, which connects to the rail trail system in Connecticut,” Call said. “This phase will connect to Westfield’s Northside. “
