SOUTH WINDSOR, CT — South Windsor has been awarded $200,000 to plan and design the third phase of its Crosstown Trail, a project intended to give residents a route for walking and biking across town.
The grant appears in the state's Oct. 1 announcement of recreational trail awards. It is part of approximately $10.5 million awarded to 50 projects across Connecticut through the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
South Windsor's award is specifically for planning and design. The announcement does not provide a construction schedule, an opening date or the exact route of Phase 3.
State Sen. Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, welcomed the funding in an Oct. 2 statement.
"Getting out onto local trails supports local recreation and exercise, public health and enjoyment of our state's wonderful natural resources," Anwar said.
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The broader Crosstown Trail plan calls for roughly 6.2 miles of travel from south to north, with access to Manchester's Charter Oak Greenway at the southern end and a connection toward East Windsor to the north, according to DEEP's description of the designated greenway.
That description envisions a route through Wapping Park, land associated with the South Windsor Land Conservation Trust, Nevers Park and the South Windsor Wildlife Sanctuary, with off-road access for walkers, cyclists and people using wheelchairs.
The project has received state funding before. Patch reported in October 2023 that the State Bond Commission approved $1.2 million for Phase 1A.
Earlier planning also brought concerns from neighbors. According to June 12, 2024, Walk & Wheel Ways meeting minutes, committee member Ginny Hole reported that Plum Ridge residents had raised concerns about pool privacy, community security and potential liability where the proposed trail crossed Sandstone Road.
The committee discussed signs identifying the private community, natural screening, additional police patrols and gates to keep motor vehicles off the trail. Those minutes concern earlier planning for the broader project and do not identify the concerns as objections to the newly funded Phase 3.
For more Northern Connecticut news, follow Patch editor Jay Kenney.
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