'Rural' Prtion Of Air Line Trail Getting $7 Million Makeover With More Likely To Come

HARTFORD, CT — Connecticut has received $7.2 million in federal funding to improve access and conditions along portions of the Air Line State Park Trail as part of an initiative aimed at improving public health in rural communities, state officials announced Tuesday.

The funding represents the first year of what officials expect will become a five-year, $40 million project through the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, pending future federal appropriations. The initiative will focus on improving sections of the 50-mile multiuse trail that pass through federally designated rural communities in northeastern Connecticut.

The project will include resurfacing trail segments, improving drainage, installing new signage and creating more accessible trail entrances in the towns of Lebanon, Windham, Chaplin, Hampton, Pomfret, Putnam and Thompson. State officials said the improvements are intended to encourage more residents to use the trail for walking, running, cycling and other outdoor recreation linked to better physical and mental health.

Gov. Ned Lamont said the investment will improve access to one of Connecticut's largest recreational resources while supporting healthier lifestyles.

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said expanding access to outdoor recreation can help reduce stress, improve mental health, increase physical activity and lower the risk of chronic disease. She said the project also will include partnerships with regional health organizations to encourage residents of all ages and abilities to use the trail.

The Air Line State Park Trail stretches through 12 Connecticut municipalities, but only seven qualify for funding because they meet the federal definition of rural communities under the Rural Health Transformation Program.

According to the state, the grant will not fund new trail construction or extensions because those projects are not eligible under the federal program. Instead, funding will be used to improve existing trail conditions and expand outreach promoting outdoor recreation.

The Connecticut Department of Social Services is coordinating the state's Rural Health Transformation Program, which includes 30 projects across 10 state agencies supported by a $154.2 million federal award during the program's first budget period.

DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves said the initiative will strengthen existing public health programs by promoting physical activity in partnership with health care providers.

State officials said DEEP is beginning the first phase of the project, including environmental planning, trail-use assessments, vegetation management, hazard tree removal, procurement and contractor selection. The agency also plans to develop outreach campaigns and community engagement programs with local health care partners as work progresses.

The project is funded entirely through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as part of the federal Rural Health Transformation Program.