To the editor:
I am a member of the Brunswick-Topsham Androscoggin Riverwalk Advisory Committee. Recently, we had a celebratory day when groundbreaking of this project took place.
As a Topsham Heights resident, this project makes me happy for many reasons. This Topsham trail, which extends from Bridge Street to Summer Street, is a key component to the 1 1/4-mile riverwalk.
Riverwalk is designed to get people to leave their car keys in their front pockets, take a relaxing walk with their pets, take a vibrant walk during their lunch break or just enjoy the river’s great aspects. The new path will have blacktop the whole way. This enables public works to clear efficiently in winter months and most importantly allows people with disabilities to be able to access the trail.
We must stop for a minute and think about how lucky we are to have three great projects that provide off road access, leisure time and access to everyone that wants to use them.
The first project, I believe, was built in 1892 and that is the Swinging Bridge that crosses the Androscoggin. This is a marvel indeed. Foot access to Brunswick, quicker in some cases than taking a vehicle over to Brunswick. The bridge needed some great repairs years ago and, lucky for us, local individuals made sure of its rebirth again. The Swinging Bridge is wonderful.
The second project really was an idea from Topsham Heights residents. It is called the “Bridge to Bridge” trail. It connects Front Street near the black bridge to the lovely Swinging Bridge. This trail provides safe walking (no sidewalks on that section of Bridge Street) for pedestrians to access the Swinging Bridge or to just take a great walk or run.
Thirdly, our riverwalk has been about a lot of long night meetings and planning for this day, the day to see something physical happen … groundbeaking. It is a fairly large project that needs everyones attention, insight and feedback along the way. We surely encourage it.
To close, I have been lucky to have been part of all three projects in one form or the other. Whether I have been running in the Swinging Bridge 5K or being involved on the riverwalk committee, I am part of a much greater and much more hard working group of people than myself, that truly want to make Topham and Brunswick both wonderful places to live.
Jeff Deletetsky
Topsham
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