The City will soon begin construction on the final phase of the Farmington Canal Trail project. The entire length of the Farmington Canal Heritage Trail stretches approximately 84 miles from Northampton, MA to New Haven, CT. Currently, the trail terminates at Temple Street, but upon completion it will continue through Wooster Square and lead all the way to Long Wharf pier. The completion of this greenway will give people the ability to bike, walk, or run through the heart of the city.

The Phase IV greenway extension begins at the existing trail at Temple St and continues below street level using an existing tunnel/unimproved path. This below grade section will include interpretive displays, raised concrete boardwalks, ramps, stairs, illumination and specialized architectural elements. The multi-use trail will rise to street-level at Grove St with a ramp. From there, the on-road portion of the trail will utilize Grove and Olive Street, with pedestrians on the sidewalk and bicycles in marked lanes or sharrows. Bicyclists will transition to a cycle track once on Water Street, where Olive Street intersects.

CTDOT has built the cycle track from Water and Brewery Streets to Sargent Drive and Canal Dock Road as part of the Q-Bridge project. This area of New Haven Harbor was the historic terminus of the Farmington Canal, where freight was transferred from canal barges to sailing vessels, steam ships, and later rail cars.

Resources

• "Canal Trail Breakthrough Reached” (New Haven Independent, January 2017)
• “Light Seen At End Of Canal Trail Tunnel” (New Haven Independent, March 2018)
• “City 1,175 Sq. Ft. Closer To Canal Trail’s End” (New Haven Independent, September 2018)
• New Haven Friends of the Farmington Canal Greenway
• New Haven Friends of the Farmington Canal Greenway Facebook Page
• Farmington Canal Heritage Trail