The lobbying efforts of residents of Heritage Cove condominium complex will pay off as the construction of the River Road Sidewalk project is set to begin this June, according to the Essex Public Works Department.

Residents and neighbors have voiced concerns over the safety of River Road and its connecting streets for several years, seeking a safer corridor for pedestrians and cyclists wanting to access the River Road area to the heart of Essex Village.

The Board of Selectmen (BOS) held a public informational meeting on April 12, which included public works and Town Engineer Bob Doane showing attendees the detailed site plans of the project.

First Selectman Norm Needleman said he is excited to see the project finally move forward following the push from Heritage Cove residents.

“I think it’s a great improvement for the whole town,” said Needleman. “People have been asking for this for a long time, and I’m excited that we’re going to give them what they want, finally.”

Public Works Director Welch extended his thanks to the residents of Heritage Cove for their push and said he believes the improvements will be well received by the town.

“I think it will be a popular route. It’s a really nice rural road, and I think it’ll get used a lot,” Welch said.

Some residents in attendance voiced concerns about tree removal, mailbox relocation, and a few others. Needleman said those concerns would be met, while Welch added that the town is not in the interest of cutting any trees since they are a part of the plan.

“There’s a few design points, being the river, the bridge, and a couple of big sycamore trees that we’ve designed the project around because we don’t want to cut any trees down,” said Welch.

Site plans for the project show that the new sidewalk will run along River Road and through its intersection with Book Hill, then continue to Hudson Lane, after which it will divert away from River Road and become a walking path that eventually reaches the entry to Heritage Cove.

A walkway for pedestrians is a step towards a literal safer direction for the community and concerned residents at Heritage Cove, who have been tenacious in making some parts of the area less dangerous than it had been in the past for pedestrians.

“There were a lot of safety concerns with the bridge and the intersection. That point between the river and Book Hill Road is really dangerous for walkers and pedestrians, so that was really our focus, was to make a change there. And then extend the sidewalk to Heritage Cove,” said Welch.

Welch added that the sidewalk project would not take away from the existing bike path that cyclists would normally take along River Road; the route’s width would remain the same.

Looking at the pedestrian bridge, the structure will go over Falls River and will have a retaining wall. According to Welch, the bridge will be six feet wide with a poured concrete deck, while its abutments will rest behind existing bridge wing walls. A weathered steel surface will rest below the feet of pedestrians who can then walk or fish on the bridge, which will also have a weight rating “so we can use our snow removal equipment to drive across it,” said Welch.

The monies for the project come in the form of the Community Connectivity Grant Program from the Connecticut Department of Transportation, which awards towns and cities across the state grants to support improved mobility and accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists. Construction projects like the River Road plan are the kind that encourage communities to use alternative means of transportation that are healthy, more environmentally sustainable, and safer for users. Welch said the latter benefit for Essex residents, particularly those in the River Road area, is a major part of the project’s construction.

For sidewalk and bridge construction, Essex received a total of $595,611. Welch said it is hoped that the grant will cover the entire cost of the three-part project while the town will be obligated to match the cost. The town will also buy the necessary materials to construct the bridge and drainage along the road.

Welch said construction would likely begin sometime in June and would take around four months to complete. The bridge and its accompanying wall will take the longest to complete.

Road work signs will be posted along the project’s construction area, and public works does not “anticipate any detours or any road closures. The whole project will be alternating traffic,” said Welch.

“The section with the bridge is going to be more difficult for traffic, but I don’t really see it being a big problem. There’s not a lot of traffic out there, and the road is pretty wide past Book Hill, so I don’t see there being that much interruption for the residents,” added Welch.

To see map plans for the project, visit: https://www.essexct.gov/sites/g/files/vyhlif3116/f/agendas/town_of_essex_river_road_sidewalks_site_plans_2-24-23.pdf