Plainfield will add Wauregan stretch to multi-town Quinebaug River Trail. What to know.

John Penney, The Bulletin
·4 min read

PLAINFIELD — Town Planner Mary Ann Chinatti got to ring in the New Year with a big smile thanks to the passage of a federal bipartisan spending package that included nearly $2.2 million for a new, multi-use trail in town.

“I’m so stoked I can’t even tell you,” Chinatti said last week. “I’m so, so excited.”

Chinatti received an email on Dec. 30 from the office of U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2nd District, informing her that all 15 “targeted” projects proposed by Courtney for Connecticut were approved as part of the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act – including an upgrade project for a portion of the Quinebaug River Trail in Plainfield.

Alejandra Constante and James Elwood of Windsor ride their bicycles on the Quinebaug River Trail in Killingly in this file photo. Plainfield is planning to add its own section to the roughly 5-mile, disjointed trail, which also has a length in Putnam.
Alejandra Constante and James Elwood of Windsor ride their bicycles on the Quinebaug River Trail in Killingly in this file photo. Plainfield is planning to add its own section to the roughly 5-mile, disjointed trail, which also has a length in Putnam.

“I was optimistic and confident about the funding, but you can’t be absolutely certain of these things until they get approved,” said Chinatti, who noted the spending bill was later signed by President Joe Biden.

Plainfield’s share of the government funding will enable the design, permitting and construction of a 1.6-mile section of walking and biking trail in the Wauregan section of town. The project is the first part of tentative larger plan that aims to tie the path into the larger Quinebaug River Trail system, which consists of roughly five disjointed miles, meandering through sections of Killingly and Putnam.

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The approved federal funds will mostly pay for the creation of a paved trail running from Route 205 in the Wauregan section of town near North Walnut Street; along South Walnut Street past the vacant C&M Mill complex; branching out off through an old trolley-line path and ending on Trout Hatchery Road at the intersection of Cady Lane in Central Village.

Chinatti said that trail work will represent the middle portion of a three-phase endeavor that also calls for extending the existing Quinebaug River Trail from the Killingly town line to Route 205 in Wauregan. A third piece would cut a path from South Cady Lane through Main Street, along Route 14A and eventually connecting with the Moosup Valley State Park Trail.

Mary Ann Chinatti, Plainfield Planning & Zoning supervisor, shows where the anticipated 1.6-mile Quinebaug River Trail in the Wauregan and Central Village sections of Plainfield could be.
Mary Ann Chinatti, Plainfield Planning & Zoning supervisor, shows where the anticipated 1.6-mile Quinebaug River Trail in the Wauregan and Central Village sections of Plainfield could be.

Plans for the outlying sections of trail work are still in the discussion phases.

Chinatti said the town opted to request funding for the middle portion of the trail project because it was the least expensive section to complete, with no property easements to navigate and less clearing work anticipated.

When will work begin on the Plainfield trail?

Chinatti said she hopes to break ground on the trail work in approximately three years.

First Selectman Kevin Cunningham previously said the new trail section will feature paved 10-foot-wide paths bracketed by 5-foot shoulders that will make it attractive to hikers and cyclists. He said he hopes to add historical markers at trail intervals for users to peruse.

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Town officials said roughly $460,000 in town Capital Improvement Plan matching money could be used to pay for trail improvement costs not covered by the incoming federal monies, though the state may end picking up that tab.

Chinatti said the type of passive recreation opportunities the “middle” trail offers also does double-duty as a local economic driver.

Work will be done to the sidewalk and grassy area in front of the former C & M Mill in Wauregan for the anticipated 1.6-mile Quinebaug River Trail in the Wauregan and Central Village sections of Plainfield.
Work will be done to the sidewalk and grassy area in front of the former C & M Mill in Wauregan for the anticipated 1.6-mile Quinebaug River Trail in the Wauregan and Central Village sections of Plainfield.

“People that use these kinds of trails – residents or those outside the area – tend to stop at a local business or a restaurant and that spurs economic development,” she said.

In a Dec. 23 press release announcing the passage of the federal appropriations bill, Courtney said $21.5 million in incoming “targeted” funding will support 15 local projects and initiatives in Connecticut.

“The government funding package we passed today includes funding specifically for important projects that many of our towns and community partners otherwise couldn’t afford,” Courtney said in the release. “From improved childcare services, to new affordable housing opportunities, to infrastructure upgrades that will support our fishing industry on the shoreline, and protect our environment while preparing for growth in north central Connecticut. My office worked side-by-side with local leaders in town governments and the nonprofit sector to secure funding for these local projects, and we worked hard to win support for these critical initiatives.”

John Penney can be reached at jpenney@norwichbulletin.com or at (860) 857-6965.

This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Plainfield Quinebaug River Trail project a go thanks to federal funds