Massachusetts transportation officials are moving ahead with plans to construct a shared-use path for bikers and walkers along a dangerous 1.2-mi. stretch of U.S. Highway 5 between Northampton and Easthampton.
The $6 million project, scheduled to begin construction in 2026 and take two years to complete, is being greeted with enthusiasm by bikers and others who use that part of the highway to get to and from Northampton, Holyoke and Easthampton.
The Daily Hampshire Gazette reported Oct. 12 that plans call for the path to run between Easthampton's Manhan Rail Trailhead near East Street and connect to proposed bike lanes to be constructed at Interstate 91's Exit 23 in Northampton, where a bridge replacement project is currently under way.
"This is an area where pedestrian and bike access has been just totally unworkable and dangerous," said Northampton resident Nicholas Horton, speaking at a public hearing hosted by the state Department of Transportation (MassDOT). "This has really important implications for the folks who live on Island Road, for those who are making their way down towards Holyoke, and for those connected to the Manhan Rail Trail."
State officials said the trail will be constructed along the west side of U.S. 5, closest to the Oxbow and opposite the B&M Railroad tracks. It would run past Island Road, which provides access to the Oxbow Marina as well as a neighborhood and a warehouse for Packaging Corporation of America.
"The project is intended to address the need to provide a direct connection for alternative and healthy modes of travel," MassDOT Project Manager Muazzez Reardon said during the Oct. 11 virtual public hearing, which was being held at the 25 percent design stage.
Reardon added that this section of U.S. 5 "lacks adequate shoulder width for bicycles and there are no sidewalks for pedestrians," creating an accessibility barrier for pedestrians with disabilities and safety issues for those traveling along the corridor.
As a result, she said project goals include improving accessibility and safety, and encouraging more use by bicyclists and pedestrians.
In addition to construction of the shared-use path, MassDOT is proposing other improvements, including an expanded parking lot at the Manhan Rail Trailhead, a potential Pioneer Valley Transit Authority bus stop at the trailhead, modifications to the existing U.S. 5 bridge, and signalized pedestrian and bicycle crossings near the I-91 ramp interchange.
"At the Manhan River Bridge, there's an existing sidewalk on the west side," noted Keith Lincoln, project manager at Chappell Engineering in Marlborough, Mass., the design consultant of the project. "That helps facilitate the widening of that sidewalk and construction of the shared-use path."
He added the project is being designed to have a limited impact to the existing U.S. 5 roadway.
"The intent is to maintain as much of the existing roadway as possible, and as such, we're doing very minimal work on the roadway," explained Lincoln, who also said there are certain areas where the guardrail will need to be modified, particularly at the bridge. "In general, we're not proposing to relocate the guardrail."
Additional safety measures include a minimum of 5 ft. of buffer space between the road and the path. The possibility exists that a curb, guardrail or railing will separate the path from the roadway.
As for a timeline, Reardon said environmental permits and 75 percent design submission will be completed by winter 2024, with final design submission coming in fall 2025, and an anticipated construction start in 2026.
Funding for the U.S. 5 project will come from federal and state contributions, with the feds kicking in 80 percent of the cost, and the state supplying the 20 percent. The estimated price tag does not cover any right-of-way acquisition costs, the Northampton news source noted.
The project's current design plan suggests that temporary and permanent easements may be needed, but no details have been determined. MassDOT said earlier in October it would notify affected property owners 10 months to a year before the project begins to discuss easement specifics and compensation, according to Angela Steinman, a right of way agent for the state agency.
Environmental Impacts Discussed at Forum
Reardon said that because the project involves work within regulated wetland boundaries, coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Easthampton and Northampton conservation commissions will be required.
Some attendees at the Oct. 11 hearing voiced environmental concerns about the project, according to the Daily Hampshire Gazette.
"I hope that no additional lights will be installed, and I'm thinking especially about the fact that the path runs along sensitive environmental areas," said Northampton resident James Lowenthal, who favors the project. "All the wildlife in that refuge need it to be dark at night, and we humans do as well. I think safety can be served by good design without more lights."
Kathryn Bass, a resident of Island Road suggested more lighting to help avoid bike collisions with crossing wildlife.
Other members of the public at the hearing — particularly bikers and Island Road residents — were strongly supportive of the proposed shared-use path.
"We need to keep promoting separated trails like this so more and more families and young people and less confident bike riders can get out on the trails," said George Kohout of Northampton.
City Councilor Jim Nash added, "I am stupidly excited that this project is moving forward. To be able to go down Route 5 safely, it just opens up a lot of possibilities."
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