Senator Eldridge, Representative Gregoire, and Representative Kane Announce $11,161 MassTrails Grant to Westborough for Bowman Bridge Replacement Project
Concepts of the Bowman Bridge Replacement Project. Image courtesy of Westborough Conservation Department
Funds will replace a 40-year-old bridge over the tributary to Sandra Road
Westborough, MA – Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), Representative Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough), and Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) are pleased to announce a MassTrails grant in the amount of $11,161 to the town of Westborough for the Bowman Bridge replacement project. The State funding will provide for the replacement of a 40-year-old bridge in the Bowman Conservation Area, a 157.3-acre town-owned land.
The project, replacing an existing dilapidated bridge over Sandra Pond’s tributary, will be 5 feet wide and 24 feet long with railings on both sides. Made in Pennsylvania, the bridge made with treated pine is expected to arrive mid-summer, according to the town’s Conservation Commission. The next step will be physically installing the bridge on-site. Other than the bridge replacement, the project will also construct an ADA-compliant path with railings leading up to the bridge.
“I am pleased to announce the $11,161 grant to Westborough. The bridge is situated in the beautiful Bowman Conservation Area and will provide improved pedestrian walkability for local residents and visitors” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “ I extend my gratitude to the Department of Conservation and Recreation for their support and approval.”
“I am grateful for this funding which will ensure that our residents can continue to safely enjoy and traverse the Bowman Conservation Area,” said State Representative Danielle Gregoire (D-Marlborough).
“I am thrilled that Westborough will be receiving a $11,161 grant from the Baker-Polito Administration to replace the Bowman Bridge. This reconstruction will allow Westborough residents and visitors to enjoy this beautiful conservation area for many years to come” said State Representative Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury).
The MassTrails Grant Program is funded through the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) capital budget, and from the motor fuel excise tax on off-road vehicles, including ATVs and snowmobiles, which is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Surface Transportation Act, in coordination with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
All MassTrails Grant Program applications are reviewed in consultation with an inter-agency MassTrails Team and the Massachusetts Recreational Trails Advisory Board (MARTAB). The program provides important funding for project development, design, and construction of shared-use pathways, which facilitate connections to where people live, work, and recreate.
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