WESTFIELD –  A bridge connecting parts of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail was installed overnight between April 5 and 6 to bring Westfield one step closer to having a fully complete rail trail.

The Greenway Bridge was installed over Main Street near the Stop & Shop. Carmel T. Steger, chair of the Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail, said that while the bridge may be in place, it will take some time before it is fit for use by pedestrians and cyclists.

“We are asking for everybody’s patience. There will still be no pavement,” said Steger, adding that “the central section is on target to be completed by this summer.”

Steger said that other bridges along the trail north of the Greenway Bridge are also in need of repair before the trail can be considered complete in Westfield.     There are plans to overhaul the Elm Street Bridge, which Steger said needs a lot of work. She said that bridges on Thomas Street, Chapel Street, and Orange Street will also need replacing to complete the one-mile section of the trail that brings it to the Westfield River Esplanade.

Steger said that Westfield’s portion of the rail trail is one of the only rail trails that is elevated high above street level for much of the length of the trail. She said she is excited to see the unique elevated perspective of the city as one travels north from the section of the trail next to Stop & Shop.

Steger said that funding for the rail trail construction is provided by the federal government and the state’s Department of Transportation, as well as community preservation funds. The Friends of the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is an organization that raises money for advocacy and to pay for different amenities and programs on the trail.

The Columbia Greenway Rail Trail is only the Westfield section of a much larger trail that runs down to New Haven, CT. The trail runs along the length of what was once a canal that was then converted to train tracks. When the rail company that owned the tracks failed, the rail trail was developed in its place.

The canal and railroad went further north to Northampton, where part of the trail runs into Easthampton to Southampton. Steger said that Southampton is the lone town on the canal path that does not have a developed rail trail. She said there are also logistical issues with connecting Westfield to any possible Southwick trail due to geography.