With repairs complete, Northampton Bikeway set to reopen Monday

The Northampton Bikeway, closed for 30 days for repairs, will officially reopen on Monday.

The Northampton Bikeway, closed for 30 days for repairs, will officially reopen on Monday. STAFF FILE PHOTO

By Staff Report

Published: 11-29-2024 3:18 PM

NORTHAMPTON — The city will officially reopen the Northampton Bikeway on Monday after the 2.5-mile section of the Mass Central Rail Trail had been closed for the last month for repairs.

The stretch of trail extends from the rotary in front of Look Memorial Park to the King Street plaza that’s home to Stop & Shop and Tandem Bagel Co. The entirety of the trail extends for more than 100 miles all the way to Boston, though only 60 miles of it are open to the public. It was the first repairs to this section of the trail since the trail’s beginning more than 40 years ago.

Friends of Northampton Trails, the city and others will celebrate the reopening of the bikeway Monday at 7:30 a.m. at the trail entrance at State and Stoddard streets (behind Stop & Shop). The ceremony will include a ribbon-cutting, light snacks, and a bike bus, hosted by Northampton Cycling Club, from the event to JFK Middle School.

The project, which involved improving pavement as well as curbing and signage on the trail, was funded by a MassTrails grant from the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Work also involved trimming the tree canopy, grinding of the pavement to replacing it with fresh asphalt.

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