Did you see it? We got our first glimpse of the newly constructed stairway leading from Main Street at the Amesbury Visitor’s Center up to the Garrison Trail along I-95. The stairway is part of a construction project that also includes a tunnel under I-95 with connections between Salisbury’s Ghost Trail and Elm Street in Amesbury.  These last two pieces represent important connections for the Coastal Trails Network (www.coastaltrails.org).

This is a really exciting moment.  The Merrimack Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization (MVMPO) has long supported the efforts of the four coastal communities of Amesbury, Salisbury, Newbury and Newburyport to develop an amazing multi-use trail network.  While these projects take years to develop from vision to ribbon cutting, a lot of progress is being made and will continue.  Other developments include:

• Right now, the second phase of Salisbury’s Eastern Marsh Trail is under construction and the Town has received a grant to build a connection to Seabrook, New Hampshire.
• Newburyport is getting the final section of the Clipper City Rail Trail back on track after a contamination setback that required additional brownfields remediation. In addition, the City is looking at improved connections between the trailhead on Parker Street and the train station.