Next spring, area trail enthusiasts could have five more miles of paved surface to walk, run or bike.
Chemung County’s public works department will open bids from contractors Sept. 22 for the paving of the Lackawanna Trail between Elmira and Lowman. The project includes adding either a chip seal or stone dust surface to the currently unpaved portion of the trail that starts southeast of the trail’s bridge over Newtown Creek and continues to the Lowman Crossover.
Public Works Commissioner Andy Avery said that while the contractor that wins the bid might start work this year, paving will most likely be completed in the spring.
It’s about a two-month project but could last longer, Avery said. During construction, the trail won’t be off-limits, but Avery noted that access “will be limited at times.”
Included in the project are the addition of amenities such as benches, bicycle racks and reflective pavement markings, as well as signs, wooden fencing and safety rails. A small parking area that could fit three or four cars also is planned for the Lowman trailhead, Avery said.
Chemung County will pay 20 percent, or about $126,000, of the project’s estimated $629,000 cost, although Avery said actual costs will depend on the amount of the winning bid. A Federal Highway Administration grant will cover the remaining costs.
The Lackawanna Trail, which runs along an abandoned Lackawanna Railroad right-of-way, also includes a 2.5-mile paved section between Eldridge Park and East Water Street in Elmira. The city paved it in 2013.
The city and county sections of the trail are connected by a wooden bridge over Newtown Creek that runs alongside a former rail bridge.
Chemung County Legislator Rodney J. Strange (R-15) says his constituents have been waiting a long time for this trail to open to the public. The trail open officially earlier this year.
“I have been asked many times over the past couple years when this trail would be open,” Strange said. “People wanted to use this trail for a variety of activities including walking, jogging and bicycle riding. It’s a great addition to the area and I believe will be used tremendously during nice weather.”
A majority of the section of trail is in Strange’s 15th legislative district in the town of Ashland.