New bridge coming for the Quinnipiac River Linear Trail

Funding enables link to Yalesville section of the town

WALLINGFORD — The town has been awarded a $400,000 grant from the Connecticut Department of Transportation that will link the northern end of the Quinnipiac River Linear Trail with Main Street in the town’s Yalesville section.

The money from the state, along with other grants accumulated to expand the trail, will be used to build a $1 million bridge across a man-made canal separating the western shore of Fireworks Island from part of the town’s Yaleville section, said state Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-85, who is also a chairwoman of the Quinnipiac River Linear Trail Advisory Committee.

There is already a bridge in place that connects Fireworks Island with Yalesville, but it is owned by the Yaleville

“It’s about two and a quarter miles from one end to the other where bicyclists won’t have to deal with car traffic.” State Rep. Mary Mushinsky, D-85

on the Green condominium complex, which prohibits bicyclists and pedestrians from using the span.

“We had some issues because of that,” Mushinsky said. “The town has a right of way on the other side of the canal, so this will be a big step in closing the trail gap.”

Mushinsky said it may be a while before the bridge actually gets built.

“We’ve got to go through the design and permitting process,” she said. “Permitting will take awhile because of all the different agencies involved. It will even require the Army Corps of Engineers to sign off on it.”

Ultimately, the goal of the advisory committee is to link Quinnipiac River Linear Trail with similar ones in North Haven and Meriden, Mushinsky said. But for now, solving the problem by installing a new bridge will allow for an alternative means of transportation through town that doesn’t involve putting bicyclists on busy local and state roads, she said.

“It’s about two and a quarter miles from one end to the other where bicyclists won’t have to deal with car traffic,” Mushinsky said of the trail, which has its southern terminus at Community Lake Park on Hall Avenue.

Hearst Connecticut Media file photo Construction on a new bridge linking the northern end of the Quinnipiac River Linear Trail with Main Street in the town’s Yalesville section.