St. Johnsbury Bike Path- The East End of the LVRT.

The weatherman predicted rain, but the morning of May 20 could not have been sunnier for the Fit and Healthy Coalition of St. Johnsbury to take a guided tour of the proposed Three Rivers Bike Path in St. Johnsbury.
Tour guides Kevin Russell, Municipal Project Manager for the bike path, and Mike Welch, Town Manager in St. Johnsbury and Fit and Healthy Coalition member, led other members of the coalition on 1.75 mile proposed bike path.

The path begins on Bay Street in St. Johnsbury where there are plans for a trail head and parking lot. It follows more or less along the Passumpsic River, eventually intersects with the active Washington County Railroad tracks for a short distance, then takes a turn to the right and connects to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. This section of the LVRT is leased to the Town of St. Johnsbury by the State of Vermont and is not part of the VAST trail.

Kevin Russell is hopeful that construction will start in 2010. The construction phase of the Three Rivers Bike Path is expected to cost about $800,000.
The Fit and Healthy Coalition in St. Johnsbury is made up of health and human services organizations, recreation, schools, and for-profit and not-for-profit businesses interested in advocating for healthy communities.

A Glimpse of the Future of the LVRT

When a large landslide washed out a section of the rail trail in East Hardwick last year, officials at VAST saw it as an opportunity to try out some clearing techniques they hope to use to on other sections of the trail. Described as a “prototype” section by VAST engineer Alan Robertson, the .6-mile section just off Route 16 is a glimpse at what the trail can be someday.

The project, completed during the summer of 2007, encompassed what Robertson calls the big cost items of preparing the trail: clearing, ditching, and grading. VAST used a hydraulic tree mulcher to blast through densely overgrown areas along the sides of the trail. Excavation equipment was used to dig ditches to facilitate better drainage. The existing ballast was graded in an attempt to pull out vegetation from the bed of the trail by the roots. Time will tell if this method will deter re-growth.

If you have any news in your area regarding the trail, or pictures of LVRT that you would like to share, please email us at info@friendsLVRT.org

A Future Glimpse, continued

View of trail section prior to construction.

Three trail surfaces are featured along the prototype. Walking along the section heading west, you first encounter a surface of 3⁄4 inch crusher run, followed by a short section of recycled crushed asphalt. The rest of the surface is the re-graded existing ballast.

Nice treatment of potential wash-out area. Demostration project included grass seeding and stabilization.

While the current conditions along the almost 100 mile Lamoille Valley Rail Trail vary greatly, the .6 mile section in East Hardwick gives us a vision of the potential of the trail, and brings us a step closer to making it a year round trail for all to enjoy.