Photo By AnnMarie Harvie | Keith Beecher, park manager, East Brimfield Lake, Mass., addresses the audience during...... read more read more
Story by Thomas Chamberland, park ranger, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
BRIMFIELD, Mass. - After several years of hard work and recovery from the tornado of June 2011, and the devastating snow storm of October 2011, the 2.5 mile section of the Grand Trunk Trail and two-mile adjoining side trail in Brimfield, Mass., is now open along with an access to Mill Brook, a flat water river that flows through Brimfield.
With the opening of the 2.5 mile Lake Siog Pass trail into Holland, there are now over seven miles of relatively flat, “rail trail” available to the public. This section of the Grand Trunk Trail is a portion of the Titanic Rail Trail initiative of the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers. When complete, the Titanic Rail Trail will run 66 miles from Franklin to Palmer, Mass.
The event took place on the exact day of the second anniversary of the June 1 tornado, in the Rte. Twenty Trail Head Terminus of the Grand Trunk trail in Brimfield.
Local dignitaries along with New England District team members, the Grand Trunk Trail Blazers, the Brimfield Trail Committee and Board of Selectmen were on hand to officially open the trails.
“The hard work of the Brimfield Trail Committee led by Dick Costa and Rob Mahlert along with Park Ranger Tom Chamberland of my staff coordinating all of the volunteer and contractual efforts have led to this great trail effort,” said Keith Beecher, park manager for East Brimfield Lake during the ceremony. “I am very proud of this partnership which will now benefit many residents and visitors to our area.”
Initial work in opening these sections of the abandoned Trolley and Grand Trunk Rail beds started in 2005, and were slowly progressing with a hoped for grand opening in September of 2011. The tornado of June 2011 delayed that opening, causing over a half mile of the trail to be totally destroyed, and an additional three fourths of a mile significantly impacted.
Thanks to the partnership between the town of Brimfield and the New England District, volunteers went to work rededicating themselves to getting this trail reopened and in better condition than originally envisioned.
Total costs over the past six years of contracted and volunteer effort as well as materials and supplies to open this 2.5 mile section of trail have amounted to $255,000, with some $120,000 of that directly related to tornado and winter storm clean up/damages and repairs.
“Residents of Brimfield have been great in their support of this effort, and although the tornado slowed us down, it strengthened our resolve to get this section of the trail completed, and now just two years later, this is a great example of our community of Brimfield working together towards recovery,” said Rob Mahlert, chair of the Brimfield Trail Committee.
One of the side benefits of the trail is new and easy access to Mill Brook, allowing for canoes and kayaks to enjoy this section of the river. The day’s activities included a brief walking tour of the trail and then later a bike tour of the trail. River access was made available shortly before the official ribbon cutting ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 06.01.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.11.2013 11:33 |
| Story ID: | 110059 |
| Location: | BRIMFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 448 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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