Vermont Business Magazine Burlington Parks, Recreation and Waterfront has reopened the Phase 2b portion of the Burlington Greenway, from North Beach to Shore Road, ahead of schedule. That means the entire Burlington section of the Island Line Trail is fully open to all users (please be advised to check the Town of Colchester and/or Local Motion for the most recent conditions on the Causeway, which sustained significant damage in a wind storm in early May). Final paving and most of the pavement markings, shoulder work, topsoil, seeding, landscaping, etc have been completed, with construction fencing and temporary access roads and bypasses currently being removed.
Greenway for Marathon Sunday
Last Friday, BPRW opened the path for the weekend, after completing paving, ahead of schedule and in expectation of good weather and large numbers of eager Greenway users. Monday, BPRW staff, project engineers and the contractor all made the decision to keep the path open while final touch-up work is being completed. The Sunday, May 27th Vermont Marathon will mark the debut of the latest and longest section of Burlington's beloved linear park. Stubborn wintry conditions at the beginning of the construction season eventually gave way to drier and warmer conditions, allowing contractors to make great progress and achieve a high standard of quality in recent weeks.
[NO] Icing on the Connections
Final work on the newly formalized connection at Killarney Drive is currently being completed, with a new curb cut, adjacent sidewalk improvements and adjustments to a storm water drain. Improvements will prevent ponding and winter icing to ensure a barrier free and ADA compliant access. The Department of Public Works has additional upgrades planned to improve pedestrian and bicycle access to the this newly rehabilitated section of the Burlington Greenway with intersections improvements along North Ave.
The Push Continues
BPRW is currently working on final designs for two Pause Places within Phase 2, one at Leddy Park, which will include the fourth UVM Medical Center Fitness Trail exercise station, bike racks, benches and improved paving and landscaping. The second will be built at the northern-most lake access stairway at Northshore, and will include a newly developed, vandal-resistant staircase standard to replace the pressure treated lumber steps that were partially destroyed by fire last year. The same step style will be used to replace the failing wood steps connecting the back side of Leddy Arena to Leddy Beach.Construction is slated for late summer and fall 2018.
The Missing Bridge
The Overpass connecting North Beach to the adjacent campground is scheduled to be replaced between late fall 2018 and spring 2019. BPRW staff are advancing final designs in collaboration with VTRANS (who own this section of the right-of-way) and the Burlington Fire Department. Along with the engineering drawings, BPRW's consultants are providing constructability feedback and incorporating sequencing recommendations in an effort to provide maximum value and minimal disruption to Greenway access during the busier seasons.
Phase 3: The Southern Campaign
BPRW staff are currently scoping the remaining untouched stretches of the Greenway, with sights set on beginning construction in spring/summer 2019. This section contains some of the most significant engineering challenges in the entire path, including the Barge Canal, tight squeezes between railroad fences and other fixed objects like the Blodgett factory and the relentless waves and wind coming in from Lake Champlain. With those challenges come great opportunities that Mayor Weinberger, BPRWStaff and others continue to explore to ensure that the southern sections of the Burlington Greenway Rehabilitation are as amazing at the rest of the path.