The Commerce Park Pedestrian Bridge is in Construction!
After five years of planning, design, permitting, and fundraising, the first pedestrian bridge for the Still River Greenway is finally being built.  We have traveled a long road to get to the point of construction, including the following recent events.

In the Summer of 2000, an aggressive fundraising campaign successfully recruited generous corporate sponsors to donate to the bridge construction (see the complete list here) to increase our capital for the bridge construction to $120,000. By July of 2001, all of the necessary building, planning, and environmental permits were secured for the project.  The bridge design specification was developed into a bid package in July and advertised for bidding.   The low bid for the bridge was $168,500 - considerably higher than the funds available.  However, a final fundraising push in August 2001 raised the necessary capital for construction.  The City awarded the construction contract to Hudson Machine Works of Brewster, NY.  A construction contract was executed in November 2001, which initiated construction.  Construction of the bridge is currently in progress and are expected to be completed by Spring 2002.  It is anticipated that a ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held on the new pedestrian bridge in May 2002.  Stay tuned for an announcement of a donation that will fund the construction of the second pedestrian bridge in 2002.

The First Canoe / Kayak Launch is Installed!

On December 1, 2001, thirty (30) volunteers, working under the direction of Peg Daley (Housatonic Valley River Trail) and Mark Cummings (Department of Agriculture, Natural Resource Division), installed a ramp that will be accessible to the public for launching canoes and kayaks. The Boat Launch is located behind the new Marriott Hotel on Eagle Road (in construction) and will be accessible to the public, when the hotel opens. It features a walkway from the parking lot of the hotel to a ramp location that is conducive to launching canoes and kayaks. This location marks the opening point of the Housatonic Valley River Trail that runs the entire length of the Still River and continues down the Housatonic River

Peg Daley and Mark Cummings installed the first sign at the canoe/kayak trail at the boat site.  A series of signs on the bank of the River will guide paddlers toward the Housatonic River.  The signs will also explain the river dynamics and ecology of the shoreline environment.

Environmental Restoration Demonstrations - Installed!
The Still River Greenway project went into construction in September 1999.  Despite the heartbreaking timing of being hit by the "500 Year Storm" in the middle of the construction period, the project succeeded and all environmental restoration demonstration projects are installed!

Greenway Trail Completed
We have completed the walking trails that traverse the entire 2.2 mile section of the Greenway!  Read more about what we've done here.

Donation Received for Footbridge
In January 2001, we received a donation of $10,000 from Paul Newman to complete the footbridge across the river.  Read the Danbury News-Times story about that segment of the project here.   This is the latest in a series of generous corporate and environmental organization contributors who have provided us with $130,000 for the construction of the pedestrian bridge and other Greenway projects.  For a status report and other information, click here.

Community Celebration Day on the River
On June 4, 2001, the Still River Alliance sponsored a one day event to open the Greenway to the public for viewing and a variety of programmed activities.  Over 150 people attended and gave rave reviews of the hard work completed thus far.  A variety of events were held.  The links within the list will take you to pictures; your browser's "back" button will return you here::

• Trail tours of each loop, by members of the Alliance
• Bird Sanctuary Opening, conducted by an experienced bird watcher
• Fishing Exhibition by Trout Unlimited, which featured fly fishing demonstrations
• Watershed Model Display by Candlewood Lake's educator showing how pollutants end up in receiving streams like the River
• Hourly flotilla/kayak runs, sponsored by Sunland Marina and Sporting World
• An environmental folk concert by Tom Callinan

Environmental Restoration Demonstrations

The following links will lead you to a photo gallery and provide a portrait of the construction for each of the three floodplain zones, along with the Shoreline Stabilization Project. 

 

Each project zone opens with a brief explanation of the purpose and location of the project scope for the site, with references to other sections of this website. 

 

Zone 1 Installation

Shoreline Stabilization off Zone 2 Floodplain

Zone 2

Storm Floyd

Zone 3

Last update:  January 6, 2001 1:06  PM