Waterfront trail set to be finished within next 2 years
Section that will link Dartmouth shoreline will cost $600,000
By MICHAEL LIGHTSTONE City Hall Reporter
Thu. Sep 3 - 4:46 AM
Construction is slated for the fall on an undeveloped portion of a multi-use trail along the Dartmouth waterfront, a Halifax city hall staffer said Tuesday.
Peter Bigelow, the municipality’s manager of real property planning, said the $600,000 project will link paved paths behind two low-rise apartment buildings near the Canadian Coast Guard facility.
Trail users have to cut through the apartment buildings’ parking lots to continue their journey along the Dartmouth waterfront.
"We’re in the final stage of negotiations on allowing us to come through there with a public trail," he said.
The missing strip is to be part of a three-kilometre trail that’s been built in stages with public cash taken from a $1-million community fund gleaned from metro’s $333-million Harbour Solutions project. Trail users include walkers, joggers, cyclists and wheelchair users.
It is open all year, Mr. Bigelow said, and should be completed within the next two years.
"When all is said and done, you will have a trail from ferry to ferry," he said, referring to Metro Transit’s Woodside and Alderney Gate terminals at each end of the waterfront path. The $600,000 is coming from the three levels of government.
The Dartmouth trail provides a scenic view of Halifax’s skyline and has proven to be popular, said Mr. Bigelow. He said the inaugural phase was built around 2003.
"Our hope is to eventually connect up to the Macdonald bridge," Mr. Bigelow said, adding that it may not necessarily be a "dedicated trail" covering the entire length.
He said Halifax Regional Municipality has plans for a multi-use trail connecting Seaview Park in north-end Halifax with the downtown core. Work on a section of the trail along Barrington Street, near the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, began some time ago.
Also, there’s a proposal in the works to improve access to the bridge’s entrance and exit for cyclists, on the Halifax side of the harbour, Mr. Bigelow said. The bridge access has long been a sore point with local bike riders.
But the plan, which Mr. Bigelow said involves building a bicycle overpass, is costly and has not been discussed by Halifax regional council.
(
mlightstone@herald.ca)