Simsbury moves ahead on East Coast Greenway connection; long‑term bridge rebuild planned

Simsbury officials said a recently completed trail connection into Bloomfield is in active use and forms part of a longer plan to extend the East Coast Greenway through Hartford.

Tom Roy, public works director, said the town received a federal/state grant through the Capital Region Council of Governments to build a safety‑focused connection into Bloomfield and that usage levels have been higher than expected.

"We were very fortunate that we received a grant a couple years ago, from Capital Region Council of Governments," Roy said, describing the grant as a federal/state transportation improvement award used to connect trails between Simsbury and Bloomfield. He said the project removed a safety risk for cyclists where the previous route ran alongside limited‑access highway.

Roy described the next phase as a long‑range, high‑cost effort to rebuild a bridge at the former railroad alignment and extend the trail through Terafill Park toward Big Y and ultimately Hartford. "That's something that's 7 to 10 years out," he said, adding that the bridge rebuild is likely the most challenging and expensive piece and that the town is conducting planning studies and pursuing grant funding.

Town staff said the proposed alignment would cross the Farmington River and connect to existing trail segments near Big Y, but offered no firm construction dates. Officials emphasized that earlier rail‑trail segments were simpler to build because they followed existing, level rail alignments; remaining gaps are more technically difficult and costly.

The town plans to continue seeking grants and coordinating with neighboring municipalities and state agencies on design and funding.