Neponset River Bikepath: Clearing Complete!

Between October 1 and November 12, the entire route of the Neponset Trail from Pope John Paul II Park (at the Southeast Expressway overpass) to Central Avenue in Milton was cleared of vegetation. By the time the MDC hosted a site visit by Neponset River Greenway Council members on the morning of Friday, November 12, the contaminated soil had been removed on the entire Boston portion of the route and the action was in Milton near the Adams St. overpass. There was a scare when some black stuff was found on the right-of-way in Dorchester behind the Keystone Apartments, but it turned out to be non-hazardous coal cinders.

The cleanup is approximately on schedule and should still be be completed by the end of December, with a coating of gravel over the trail from Central Ave. in Milton to Pope John Paul II Park in Dorchester. Revised construction drawinds are expected to be completed by mid-February, and construction should go to bid by April 1. The trail paving, funded *entirely* by the already-matched federal money, by the end of the summer of 2000, if not earlier.

-Doug Mink
Neponset River Greenway Council
MassBike/Metro Boston