Trail Development
With the assistance of volunteers from Lebanon and surrounding communities, the Lebanon Rails to Trails Committee cleared trees, brush and debris from the trail bed. Work began at the Hebron/Lebanon town line just east of Route 207 and proceeded along the trail towards the Windham town line. The full length of the trail in Lebanon was cleared and widened by January 2003.
Work to restore drainage and grade the trail began in 2004. By November 2009, section 1, from the Hebron town line to Leonards Bridge Road, section 2, from Leonards Bridge Road to Chesbro Bridge Road, and section 3, from Chesbro Bridge Road to Rt. 87, were completed, including final grading and placement of stonedust. Section 4, between Route 87 and Cook Hill Road, section 6, from Village Hill Road to Kingsley Road and section 7 from Kingsley Road to the Willimantic River were completed in November 2010. Section 5, between Cook Hill Road and Village Hill Road, was the last section to be completed.
Work that was completed over the length of the trail included:
- Removal of abandoned cars and other items along the trail
- Elimination of drainage problems
- Grading and leveling of the trail
- Widening the trail as necessary to accommodate various users
- Cutting back brush
- Laying of gravel and stone dust to provide a safe surface for all users including walkers, joggers, bicycles, wheelchairs and equestrian riders.
Work on the trail has been coordinated by the Lebanon Rails to Trails Committee in cooperation with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) and completed by Town staff, DEEP staff, local volunteers and contractors.
Lebanon received several Recreational Trails Program grants that provide funding for items including improvements to drainage along the trail, materials for construction of bridges to cross streams, gates for road crossings, and the purchase and placement of base materials and final surface material (stone dust).