The Watuppa Bicycle and Recreation Path, the first part of the Fall River Bikeway, will open formally on August 20th at 12:30 p.m. in a ribbon cutting ceremony. “Mayor Robert Correia and StateRepresentative Michael Rodrigues will jointly cut the ribbon on the Watuppa shoreline”, announced Rev. James Hornsby, organizer for the event.
“The goal of the event is to alert the general public to the new path, which runs from the Westport line (near Lepage’s) on Route 6 to Brayton Avenue, near where the Quequechan River begins. We are happy that our elected officials are coming, and we expect the path to become popular.”
“We hope that the path will be Fall River’s first step and initial pedal to a path through the city. The current path, though short, does bypass one of the worst stretches of Route 6, and should allow more people to bike to work.”
“We especially thank the City of Fall River, the Greater Fall River Chamber of Commerce and, of course, our own members of Green Futures, who have worked and lobbied for the path. These groups formed the Quequechan River Urban Action Committee which has worked hard for this path and other developments, including daylighting the falls and an urban green area.”
LAL Construction of Fall River built the path this spring, under contract with Mass Highway. It is approximately .6 of a mile long, and runs along the northern shore of South Watuppa Pond over the right of way on the Fall River-New Bedford railroad. Plans exist for the continuance of the path over the Quequechan River and then tot he Brightman Street Bridges to the west. The rail path is available for the most part to continuance all the way to New Bedford.