Dream coming true: North Conway 'Bypath' takes shape

“It’s being called a ‘bypath’ by the committee because it follows part of the route of the state’s once proposed Route 16 bypass corridor,” said Town Engineer Paul DegliAngeli, who is the town supervisor of the project that is being built by the MWV Trails Association, noting it extends from Cranmore south alongside the western shore of Puddin Pond and the North-South Road, and ending at Hemlock Lane just north of the North Conway Walmart.

The project’s progress was also addressed this week by rec path committee members Chris Meier, president of the MWV Trails Association and a local attorney with Cooper Cargill Chant, and Larry Garland, vice president of the MWV Trails Association and a cartographer with the Appalachian Mountain Club and chair of the North Conway Rec Path.

Dreaming up a paved recreation path and actually making one are two separate things. TA lot of disparate phases have to go into creating that winding ribbon of asphalt.

First came clearing work, done by Tommy Fadden of Fadden Chipping & Logging of Conway, carried out in March when there was still snow on the ground. Next came the actual roadwork, the cuts and fills, the grading and smoothing.

General contractor was A.J. Coleman and Son of Conway, which submitted a low bid of $2.6 million for construction.

According to Chris Murray, Coleman’s rec path project superintendent, work is progressing ahead of schedule, thanks to the early spring, and if all goes according to plan, it could be completed by this November — even though contractually, it doesn’t have to be completed until June 2023.

“The black flies have been the toughest, but we’re doing all right, and everything else is going along very well,” said Murray, 38, a Kennett High grad who says working on this local hometown project has been “a blast” for his crew.

He said the Rec Path will have three access points — one next to the new Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott being built at Cranmore; a second where the trail crosses Thompson Road; and the third at the southern terminus at Hemlock Lane. Two boardwalks will be built near the outlet at Puddin Pond and Kearsarge Brook at Cranmore, with that work to start within a month, according to Kevin Hamlin of HEB Engineers.

The North Conway Rec Path will feature three bridges over wetland areas, according to Burr Phillips of Civil Solutions, LLC of Bartlett, who did the design work. Two will consist of boardwalks. The one near the new hotel at Cranmore will be 96 feet long, crossing a tributary to Kearsarge Brook; the second, 48 feet in length, will cross Artist Brook near Thompson Road; and the third will be a 148-foot boardwalk near the northern end of Puddin Pond. Work on the bridges is scheduled to start in July.

Phillips said the path will have a grade of no more than 4.8 percent to comply with ADA accessibility criteria of being under 5 percent, with grades of 3.8 percent on the flatter section on the southern end and a few short sections north of Puddin Pond where it will be 4.8 percent. (NOTE: This section was revised from the printed version).

Along the route, 15-20 concrete pads will be installed for future benches, but those are not part of Coleman’s contract; the MWV Trails Association hopes to engage in fundraising and sponsorship at a later date. Also coming later: litter bag stations for trash and pet waste.

Murray said Coleman has had a nine-person crew working from 6:30 a.m.-4:30 pm., Monday-Friday.

Murray said soil brought from Coleman’s pit has been added to the sandy soil at the site. More gravel will be added, then eventually the paving. They said they are working south to north.

The path will feature four block walls on the southern end and some fencing near the steeper sections. Bollards will be placed at either end to prevent motorized vehicles from accessing the path, Murray said.

“We’re adding probably 100 rocks on the site near any of the old trail crossings along with the bollards at the ends,” said Murray.

Signage will be placed at the ends and the Thompson Road crossing.

Asked how the path project differs from a typical road job, project estimator Bryan Bailey of Coleman said it is designed to have a few more turns, with views and aesthetics in mind, noting, “It is engineered to to make it look more like a natural trail would.”

They have had occasion to see deer and other wildlife, including a Mama Bear and two cubs this past Monday.

There also have been visitors of the human kind, evidenced by footprints in the still not yet paved gravel path.

“We can see tracks when we come back to the site on Mondays, seeing how people have walked the path so we know people have already tried it — just like when people checked out the North-South Road after it was paved but before it was officially opened back in ’02 for rollerblading and biking,” said Murray, noting that interest is high in the project that has been long awaited by outdoors enthusiasts in the valley.

“I think this is really going to boost things up for the valley. I’ve been walking my dog on the Fryeburg Rec Path (the Mountain Division Rail Trail) for years and I think this will be a good addition to the community. Working on projects like this that better the community is fun,” added Murray.

MWV Trails Association held a groundbreaking in November at the trailhead at Cranmore for the multi-use trail, which was first envisioned over a decade ago.

According to the MWV Trails Association, the North Conway Recreation Path is designed to provide opportunities for physical activity to improve fitness, mental health and safe transportation alternatives.

“Walkers, joggers, bicyclists and others will enjoy this multi-purpose scenic path and all that it offers along the way, including access to local businesses, and connections to the Pudding Pond and Sticks & Stones trailheads for hiking and mountain biking,” the association said on the website, mwvrecpath.org.

For a glimpse at what the rec path will bring to the valley, one has only to take a few hours’ drive to Stowe, Vt., to see how that fellow ski town’s rec path has affected tourism business there over the past 33 years.

Completed in 1989, the Stowe Recreation Path cost $680,000. The funding came from a variety of sources which included $178,000 Land and Water Conservation Funds, $62,000 Revenue Sharing Funds, $120,000 town taxes, $134,000 Lintilhac Foundation and $186,000 privately raised by selling pieces of the path at $2 per inch, $15 per foot, $45 per yard, etc.

Matt Frazee, Stowe Parks and Recreation Director for the past 9.5 years, said Stowe’s 5.3-mile recreation path winds its way through the village, and out along the general direction of the main Mountain Road toward Stowe Mountain Resort.

“Our summer season is as busy as our winter season. People come to ride our Rec Path. It has generated a lot of business along the route,” said Frazee.

His views were shared by Sharon Harper, marketing manager of the Stowe Area Association, who said, “The Stowe Recreation Path is a big draw for both visitors and locals year-round, offering access to area dining, shops and lodging with scenic views at every turn. The 5.3-mile flat paved path meanders the West Branch of the Little River, starting in the historic Stowe Village and ending at a classic covered bridge.”

Committee member Sally McMurdo, a biking columnist for The Conway Daily Sun, has written extensively about the project.

 “The Mount Washington Valley Rec Path will bring to the valley an amenity that has long been missing — a safe place to walk, ride your bike and enjoy nature,” she said.

“Potential users range from families with young children, students, young adults and seniors. It’s a multi-age path.”

McMurdo added that the Rec Path will also form “an important community link to businesses, schools, lodging establishments, restaurants and homes. This Rec Path will be the start of something new in Mount Washington Valley — a multi-use recreational path that will provide safe opportunities for recreation, transportation and community access.”

Meier and Garland agreed that the path will serve as an alternative transportation route as well as a healthy place for multi-user recreationalists.

In interviews this week, the two noted that the trail was first envisioned by former valley resident Steve Swenson, now of Exeter.

Meier lauded District 1 Executive Councilor Joe Kenney (R-Wakefield) and the MWV Trails Association Rec Path committee for arguing that because the recreation path is an alternate transportation route, the state Department of Transportation did not have to pay back the federal funds it used to acquire the bypass corridor, now the layout of the Rec Path.

Kenney was able to secure a $1.2 million matching Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program grant, working with state Department of Transportation Assistant Commissioner Bill Cass on the effort.

It is being administered by the Federal Highway Administration and disbursed through state highway departments.\

Meier, Garland and fellow committee members are credited with coming up with the idea in 2017, working with Kenney, Cass and MWV Executive Director Janice Crawford to lobby for the cause.

Meier also praised Kenney for his help after progress had slowed in recent years because of a complication with land issues concerning the defunct Conway Bypass project within the state DOT — those issues were ironed out by Kenney, Cass and his DOT team, and DegliAngeli.

Contacted this week, Kenney told the Sun he is pleased to see the project taking shape and that he, too, believes it will be a boon for the region.

“I was happy to help secure the CMAQ grant and I am very happy to see the progress. It will be a wonderful addition to the valley,” said Kenney.

Garland said that the multi-purpose scenic path will offer access to local businesses and connections to the Puddin Pond and Sticks & Stones trailheads for hiking and mountain biking. For those biking to work or to shop, it is an alternate transportation route, Garland noted, which he said needs to be worked into the town’s Master Plan.

He  looks forward to continuing the trail east to Fryeburg, Maine, where it will link to the Mountain Division Trail. Meanwhile the committee is also looking westward, planning a 1.6-mile section in Bartlett from Attitash Ski Area and Thorne Pond to Josiah Bartlett Elementary School and the Bartlett Library. This would involve working out agreements with landowners for easements.

“We have just received a significant ($1 million) Connie Davis Watson grant to extend the path from Cranmore to the Scenic Vista in Intervale,” said Meier this week (see related story). “There are a lot of pieces to be worked out (with landowners, etc.),” Garland told the Sun.

At the groundbreaking ceremony last November, Meier served as master of ceremonies, with Garland also speaking, as did special invited guest Steve Swenson, the original visionary.

“We’ve lived long enough to see it happen,” joked Garland in his opening remarks. “We are here today to build a Rec Path — not just a path from Cranmore to Hemlock Lane, but a path to a community that places value on human-powered mobility; as much value on bike racks and benches as on parking spaces and roundabouts.”

Also taking part in the groundbreaking ceremony: Chuck Henderson, liaison for U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.); Victoria Laracy, representing 1st  District U.S. Rep. Chris Pappas (D-N.H.); Bobby Graham, a representative for Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.); Benoit Lamontagne of Northern Borders Regional Commission; Dick Brunelle of the Pequawket Foundation; Dot Seybold of the Ham Foundation; Joe Berry of River Run Companies; Conway selectmen David Weathers and John Colbath; Town Engineer Paul DegliAngeli; Kenney; Josh McAllister of HEB Engineers; Burr Phillips of Civil Solutions, LLC.; Tim Scott of Country Consulting, a member of the capital campaign; Marc Poyant of Northway Bank, the project’s financing partner; Swenson and Noah Coleman of general contractors A.J. Coleman & Son of Conway. Thanked for writing the grant applications were Michelle O’Donnell and Christine Thompson.

Mark Butterfield of the Gibson-Woodbury Charitable Foundation also donated to the effort.

The MWV Chamber served as a partner with the MWV Trails Association, providing office services for the non-profit organization. Michelle Cruz —  recently named as the new chamber director — was originally hired at the chamber to serve as MWV Rec Path administrator.

Crawford and Cruz issued a joint statement Wednesday, saying: “The efforts of the Capital Campaign Committee and the Trails Committee stand out as a stellar community effort to provide the Mount Washington Valley with a ‘Next Generation Amenity’ … This trail will bring lots of healthy pleasure for our citizens and visitors alike while at the same time building upon our outdoor recreation economy.

“This is a win/win for everyone and we are so grateful to the folks who have been working on this for many, many years,” they added.

Meier said the cost of the path has increased since the bids were done, partly due to COVID supply chain issues, and said the $3.5 million project is facing a $250,000 deficit but has a bridge loan from Northway Bank.

Ted and Sharon Wroblewski of Kearsarge, co-chairs of the rec path capital campaign, said fundraising continues.

“We remain more than excited about the current progress with the Rec Path construction. Having the Coleman Company doing the work kind of brings it all back home. It feels like it was mean to be,” they said.

“With so much local support money and then with local folks actually building it brings smiles to our faces — yet, we know that there is still some money left to raise so don’t be surprised if we leave some of you a voice message,” the fundraisers warned.

Donors for the North Conway Rec Path as of Nov. 2, 2021, included: Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Federal Grant, $1,600,000 (the amount has risen from the original grant, according to Meier); Northern Borders Regional Commission, $200,000; N.H. Community Development Finance Authority tax credits, $240,000; Connie Davis Watson, $300,000; Ham Foundation, $200,000; Gibson-Woodbury Charitable Foundation, $100,000; River Run Companies, $100,000; Valley Originals, $25,000; REI, $20,000; White Mountain Hotel, $15,000; MWV Bicycle Club, $14,745; White Mountain Oil and Propane, $10,500; Goldberg Foundation, $10,000; Cooper Cargill Chant, $10,000; North Conway Grand Hotel, $10,000; Badger Realty, $7,500; Memorial Hospital and Medical Staff, $3,500; and hundreds of other business and community member donations of under $3,500.

The association raised funds through many means, including through a “Rock the Rec” concert at Cranmore in 2019. It plans to present a second fundraising concert at Cranmore on Aug. 18. To learn more about fundraising plans and events, as well as updates, go to mwvrecpath.org.

Get ready, Mount Washington Valley — a Rec Bypath is coming, and no, it’s not the second coming of the Route 16 Bypass.