Bikers in the woods

Since 1991 St. Johnsbury has been working on creating a bike path and they are now closer than ever.

The project will connect a path to the Lamoille Valley rail trail. Like most transportation and recreational projects this one has received many roadblocks. Project Manager, Evan Detrick, tells us where the new path will start.

"They have abandoned pursuing the part of the path at the bay street area and now they are beginning the path at the south Main Street Bridge over the Lamoille Valley rail line and continuing the pathway along the southern rail line along to Mt. Vernon Street and through to Western Avenue."

Along with budgeting many other hurdles needed to be cleared during the nearly 20 year freeze with construction including zoning as well as private property right of passages. According to St. Johnsbury Selectman, Jim Rust, the new plans will hopefully bypass any problems.

St. Johnsbury Selectmen Jim Rust

"It's changed its design many times it was going go from a retail operation on bay street over to the public school the academy then it changed from being a retail operation on bay street fell apart and the they couldn't get it to the school so it's gone through many phases of change and it's gotten caught in a quagmire."

After 19 years and almost one million dollars spent St. Johnsbury will be seeing progress. One official said results will start to be visible at the end of the summer. Rust said abandoning the project is not an option. If the town decides not to finish the project St. J will have to pay back state and federal grants at the cost of nearly a million dollars. To have the project completely finished the town needs to spend another $400,000 dollars. Detrick breaks down St. Johnsbury's expense with the bike paths.

"The town of St. Johnsbury is only on the hook for 10% of the cost and the state and federal government is picking up 90% of the cost for the project. The town is only paying 10 cents on the dollar for not only the design but also the construction."

A trail in St. Johnsbury

With permits and right of passage now in order, it's time to begin construction for the project and there is a lot of work to be done. The construction will include a parking lot at Mt. Vernon Street entrance as well as the possible deconstruction of an old rail bridge on Bay Street. Rust talks about being prepared at any time to start construction.

"It's getting ready to attach to where the Lamoille Valley rail trail and that the important thing because their going to be getting ready to begin construction soon and we want to be ready because right now their path ends halfway across a bridge embankment in the middle of nowhere."

The bridge embankment lies between the two sides of Mt. Vernon Street right behind the Fairbanks Motor Inn off of Route 2. When the path is finished it will make it possible for people to bike from St. Johnsbury to Swanton.