A bike ride from Portland Harbor to Old Orchard Beach without traffic zooming by is just a mile away.
Engineers and bike path advocates are trying to find a way to connect the Greenbelt Walkway in South Portland to a stretch of the Eastern Trail in Scarborough. The addition of the one-mile path would allow people to walk, run or bike through three communities without having to use busy roads.
The link is an important step in larger plans to some day have the Eastern Trail run all the way to Kittery from South Portland.
"I think (the connection) is critical," said Robert Bowker, an avid biker and trail advocate. "Without that, you are required to be on some fairly busy roads."
He bikes daily from his home in Scarborough to his engineering firm in downtown Portland. The trip discourages casual bike riders and families because it includes a two miles on main roads that the South Portland Connector Project would eliminate, Bowker said.
While trail advocates are determined to close the estimated one-mile gap, no clear route exists. The route will have to involve easements across private property and cross the Nonesuch River and active railroad tracks.
"It requires a little more head scratching and planning," said Steven Workman, director of the Eastern Trail Management District, which is overseeing the development of the off-road trail from South Portland to Kittery.
Wilbur Smith Associates has started to look at ways to make the connection. The engineering firm, which will meet with those who are interested in the trail at a public workshop on Nov. 21, will research options and issue a report in March. The district is paying $24,000 for the study.
Challenges exist on both ends of the proposed connector.
In South Portland, the Greenbelt Walkway ends at the Wainwright Recreation Complex. To get to the city line, the trail would have to cross private property, requiring an agreement with a private land ownership group or Guilford Rail System, said James Gailey, South Portland's community development director.
Once the trail gets into Scarborough, it must cross active railroad tracks and then go through at least one privately owned parcel. The final obstacle is crossing the Nonesuch River. There, the trail would hook up with a new section that runs through land owned by the Hillcrest Retirement Community.
Engineers are looking at reusing old bridge abutments to cross the Nonesuch. The existing Pleasant Hill Road bridge may be widened to get people over the railroad tracks.
The connector still needs local, state or federal money for further planning and construction. Planners also lack agreements with private landowners.
But those who are working on the project say the final product will be worth the challenges.
Imagine being able to get on a bike and ride from Portland over the Casco Bay Bridge, along trails in South Portland and Scarborough, and into Old Orchard Beach, said John Andrews, president of the Eastern Trail Alliance, a nonprofit group that is advocating for the trail.
The path would eventually extend farther down the coast, making a bike ride to the New Hampshire line possible without having to ride alongside cars.
"The benefit to the public for future generations could be fantastic," Andrews said.
Staff Writer Mark Peters can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: mpeters@pressherald.com
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