BUCKSPORT, Maine — There is still some work to do on the waterfront walkway extension, but folks already are using the latest addition to the town’s popular waterfront attraction.

According to Town Manager Roger Raymond, the paving stones on the walkway extension were installed last week. Crews still have to add some loam and some plants along the walkway and the lights still need to be installed. That work could be completed as early as this weekend, he said.

That will coincide with the work on Peary’s Landing, which also could be completed as early as this weekend. The walkway project extends the existing path from Peary’s Landing, under the Bucksport-Verona Island bridge and along the Penobscot River. It comes up to Main Street (Route 1) between the Irving Station and Hannaford.

The town has been working on the walkway extension for more than a year. The project ran into some permitting delays and faced some challenges in stabilizing the embankments along the river, Raymond said.

“This was a tough one to work on,” Raymond said. “I’m relieved to have this one finished.”

This is the fifth extension to the original walkway which was begun in 1988, according to Raymond. Since then the walkway has become a popular attraction for residents and visitors alike.

“I know it brings people into the town,” Raymond said. “The number of people on the walkway is incredible. They love it and they keep coming back. No matter what time of day, you go down there and you will see people walking along the path.”

Raymond credits the town’s highway department for the work they did on the project. Town crews did all the preparation work for the path, using materials that were salvaged from the town’s multimillion dollar combined sewer overflow project.

It was the CSO project that spurred the Peary’s Landing project. The town had removed several old buildings from the site and built a new building to house the CSO system. Using a $150,000 state Enterprise Grant, the town decided to add features to the site that would entice travelers to turn left at the end of the bridge and visit downtown Bucksport.

Crews just finished paving the parking area on the site, which now includes a small pool with a water wheel and a fountain. The project also added a cupola with a clock to the CSO building.

Raymond said there are a few details still to be completed on the site, including fixing a small leak in the pool. The project also has included new highlighted walkways on Main Street, new signs and hanging flower pots in the downtown area.

With the completion of these two projects, most of the work along the waterfront will be done, Raymond said. However, the next step will be to link the walkway with the Miles Lane walking trails off Broadway.

The town is looking to extend the waterfront walkway along Main Street from the Irving Station to town-owned land near the Dunkin’ Donuts shop. The town owns a strip of land that is an extension of Miles Lane that runs from Route 1 to Broadway, Raymond said.

“It won’t take much to take it from where it comes off the waterfront to the Route 1 sidewalk,” he said. “From there we could go up to Broadway and tie into the Miles Lane trails.”

The waterfront walkway now extends for a mile along the waterfront and there are 2.5 miles of trails on the Miles Lane trails. Raymond said the town plans to add another half-mile onto that system of trails on property it recently purchased from the Buck Estates.

rhewitt@bangordailynews.net

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