BOURNE – A possible connection between the Shining Sea Bikeway in Falmouth and the Cape Cod Canal Bike Path is one step closer to reality after Bourne selectmen recently approved the project.
The connection would create a continuous bike route from Woods Hole to Sandwich.
Now the Cape Cod Commission will seek help on the trail from the state’s departments of transportation, conservation and recreation.
“They authorized us to take the next step,” said Cape Cod Commission Technical Services Director Glenn Cannon. “These projects are very complicated with many issues and they need to go one step at a time.”
The Commission is looking at a number of options for the project.
Over six miles of rarely used train tracks have also drawn interest from the Commission for the extension, with representatives talking to Joint Base Cape Cod, the transfer station and Mass Coastal Railroad.
Tearing up the tracks and creating the pathway could cost about $9 million, but placing the trail alongside the tracks instead could cost more at around $25 million.
The state has already opposed the removal of the train tracks.
Cannon believes that the earliest the connection would be ready, would be in another 5-10 years.
But he said that there is a lot of interest in having the pathway.
“Across Cape Cod we’re really having a lot of support for this concept of connecting a majority of Cape Cod,” said Cape Cod Commission Technical Services Director Glenn Cannon.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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