BLACKSTONE, Mass. – A newly completed section of the Blackstone River Greenway connecting the path from its previous end in North Smithfield to a longer trail into Massachusetts is now complete, and officially opened with a ribbon cutting on Friday, Nov. 22.
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation has completed work on a segment over the Blackstone Viaduct, where former railroad bridges once carried passengers across state lines. The short but critical section took five years to complete, with contractor Northern Construction of Palmer, Mass. spearheading the complex, $13.2 million restoration of the long abandoned viaduct and associated paving.
Starting at the Depot parking lot on Canal Street, the key half mile connects a previously isolated trail segment in Rhode Island with a 3.5 mile stretch into the neighboring state. It will now allow bikers, walkers and more to travel off road from Cold Spring Park in Woonsocket to Adams Street in Uxbridge, Mass. by the former Quaker Drive-In.
The short segment through the northernmost portion of Rhode Island previously ended at Meadows Park in North Smithfield.
The trail is part of a much larger, decades-long project that envisions off-road travel for 48 miles from Providence to Worcester. Construction of segments in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts first started in the 1990s, and completed portions now add up to more than 17 miles of off road space, including an 11 mile section from Woonsocket into Cumberland.
The viaduct element adds yet another scenic and historic feature to an impressive 4 mile section that includes views of the Millville Lock, waterfalls and remains of a massive mill, and crosses another eight bridges overlooking the Blackstone River. A 25-foot-high, 1,600-foot-long structure with widths varying from 50 to 100 feet, the viaduct is made up of a single-span structure by Canal Street, and a second seven-span set of granite archways crossing Mill Street just by Mammoth Mill Park. Built in 1872 as part of a route running from Walpole, Mass., to Thompson, Conn., the viaduct was once owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.
It was not part of the original plans laid out for the Greenway decades ago, but was added following advocacy from local preservationists, who pointed to its historic significance in the story of the Blackstone Valley, and its role in the Industrial Revolution. The bikeway closely follows, and often crosses the Blackstone River, once known as hardest-working river in America, and a central feature to the region’s value as a national park.
On Friday, proponents celebrated completion of the new segment, which continues from the viaduct into Meadows Park, another scenic space owned by the town of North Smithfield also known as the Paul Kelley Complex, home to multiple athletic fields. The ribbon cutting ceremony featured a brief speaking program with guests including DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo, pictured below.
A map and distance markers are helpful for personal goals and emergencies.
Sure wish there were cameras or policing in the more isolated parts.
Just an idea!
I’m so glad that you have added more to the pathway.
Hopefully you be able to have a mape were starts and ends. Thank you