Stafford Officials Offering Peek At 'Path' Project

STAFFORD, CT — Stafford officials this week were offering a sneak peek at a project to install a "multi-use path" near the local education complex and library.

The unveiling of the rendering came on the heels of Gov. Ned Lamont and Connecticut Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto announcing that the Connecticut Department of Transportation is awarding more than $9 million in state grants for transportation infrastructure and safety upgrades in 10 rural communities throughout Connecticut, including Stafford.

The grants are being released through the Transportation Rural Improvement Program, also known as TRIP, a new state grant program designed to support rural municipalities, which are often ineligible for many federal transportation programs.

Stafford is set to receive $833,844 for a multi-use path construction project on Levinthal Run.

Here's what it looks like:

Levinthal Run is a road roughly a mile in length that provides access to Stafford High School, Stafford Elementary School, Stafford Middle School, the Stafford Public Library, the Stafford Board of Education Offices, and various athletic fields and open space.

Town officials want to install a walkway along Levinthal Run to provide residents "a path to travel and exercise off the existing roadway. " Stations could be located along the path that include sitting areas, exercise stations and "other structures," officials said.

The TRIP program is a new competitive grant program supported by state bond funds through the expanded CTDOT Capital Program, Lamont said. In 2023, towns with 50 percent of the population living in rural areas were eligible to apply in coordination with their respective councils of government.

Municipalities are required to cover design costs. The DOT will cover 100 percent of construction costs, officials said.