Dutchess rail trail approved

The Dutchess Rail Trail”™s design and environmental processing has been approved by both the state Department of Transportation and the federal Highway Traffic and Safety Administration.

The 12-mile multiuse linear county park is the centerpiece of the county”™s parkland expansion plan. It will run through the middle of the county along the former Maybrook Rail corridor and including the towns of Poughkeepsie, LaGrange, Wappinger and East Fishkill.

Due to the complex engineering and environmental challenges, the project will be built in five separate segments, with much of the construction occurring simultaneously.  The first phase will run from Route 376 in Hopewell Junction to Lake Walton Road, anticipated to begin this fall.

The remaining four sections, which include significant bridge construction and repair of large culverts, are scheduled to be bid by the end of the year.  The Department of Transportation (DOT), which administers all federally funded transportation projects in the state, must approve each contract prior to letting to assure compliance with all federal requirements.

Construction cost for the entire project is estimated at just under $12 million. The DOT has agreed to fund the entire cost of the bridge over state Route 55, estimated at approximately $3.1 million. The remainder of the project cost is eligible for 80 percent reimbursement from the federal government.

Ulster and Dutchess counties are eventually hoping to link their respective trails over the old train bridge that crosses into Poughkeepsie near the Mid-Hudson Bridge. For more information, visit www.dutchesscountytrails.com.