Mayor Linda Gorton, 6th District Councilmember David Kloiber, and 12th District Councilmember Kathy Plomin today cut a ribbon to officially open the new Brighton Rail Trail bridge over Man O’ War Boulevard.
The new Brighton Rail Trail bridge connects Liberty Trail with Brighton Rail Trail, and is another component of our City’s extensive trail system. The bridge provides a safe way for bicyclists and pedestrians to cross over Man O’ War and connect with various parks and area neighborhoods.
“We currently have about $53 million in trail projects in some phase of development,” Gorton said. “With the support of federal grants, we have been able to build our wonderful trail system and continue to make it even better … like the bridge we are opening today”
The 300-foot bridge connects more than a mile of the Liberty Trail to the two-mile-long Brighton Rail Trail. The connected shared use trail travels through the Liberty Park and Hamburg neighborhoods over into the Andover Forest neighborhood, ending at Deer Haven Park. Users can access the bridge over Man O’ War Boulevard via ramps at each end of the structure.
“We are happy to take this across the finish line,” Kloiber said. “Many people have put a lot of time and effort into this project over the years. We are happy it has finally culminated in an amenity that will connect more areas of the 6th District by way of this multi-use trail.”
Councilmember Plomin said, “I live nearby and walk the Brighton Trail often. I am so excited about the trail’s connection to Liberty Road and Liberty Park. The trailhead is off of Walnut Hill, a 12th District rural road, and this connection gives the trail close to 4 continuous miles to walk, run, or bike. I love that it also improves on residential connectivity to Hamburg.”
Brighton Rail Trail was Lexington’s first rail-trail, and it is the primary off-road shared use trail in the eastern half of Fayette County. More than 40,000 people use Liberty Park, Brighton Rail, and the Gleneagles trails annually.
