SUNDERLAND, Mass. (WWLP) – The towns of Amherst and Sunderland are partnering to develop a mixed-use path after being awarded $195,090 from a MassTrails grant.
A trail will be developed from the bus station off I-91 at Whately Park and Ride on 421 State Road in South Deerfield. The 10-foot wide shared-use path called Norwottuck North will travel along Route 116 through South Deerfield passing Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation, over the Connecticut River, and through Sunderland ending just south of Meadow Street in Amherst.
Hickory Ridge Trail in Amherst awarded more funding to expand The MassTrails Grant Program supports projects that build public-private partnerships to maintain and improve existing trails and construct new ones across the state.
Sunderland Selectboard member Dan Murphy stated, “The trail will provide commuters with safe separated multimodal option for travel and recreation allowing users to park and walk to UMass, Amherst, and the Hadley commercial areas via the safe Norwottuck Trail network.”
“As we continue to grow and evolve as a region, it’s essential we prioritize projects like this that promote connectivity, sustainability, and community building,” shared Amherst Assistant Town Manager David Ziomek.
Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman stated, “The Town of Amherst was pleased to support the successful grant application by Sunderland Town Administrator Geoff Kravitz. I’m excited to see this project move forward and look forward to working with our neighboring towns of Sunderland, Deerfield, and Whately.”
“The Route 116 corridor is a high-volume and high-speed corridor that has a history of fatal incidents for bikers and pedestrians,” said Sunderland Selectboard Vice-Chair Christyl Drake-Tremblay. “Creating a safe environment for walkers and bikers is a priority for Sunderland.”
“Another benefit,” noted Sunderland Selectboard Chair Nathanial Waring, “is that it will provide excellent recreational access to the Department of Conservation & Recreation’s Mount Sugarloaf State Reservation, Mount Tobey, the Connecticut River, and Sunderland’s Riverside Park.”
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