Editor’s note: This story was updated on January 22 to reflect a change in the meeting date at the end of the story. A January 22 rail trail meeting was cancelled after press time.
by Trish Rudder
The North Berkeley Rail Trail (NBRT) project is still waiting for construction of the trail to begin, despite years of efforts to move tha project along.
The 2.2-mile trail is to begin at the historic Berkeley Springs train depot and follow the old railroad bed north along Warm Springs Run. It will cross Jimstown Road and end at Sandmine Road.
It has been more than one year since the last bidding process was opened on December 12, 2023 and two bidders complied. Both bids were over budget.
The lower bid by C. William Hetzer, Inc. was $2,795,000. The budget for the trail is $1,966,017, and was over budget by $828,982, said Pete Brown, task force member for the project for the Town of Bath.
Morgan County Commissioner Bill Clark said in an email that the bid that came in too high caused the project to go back for redesign of the three bridges that cross Warm Springs Run. Designs will now have a lesser weight bridge.
At the January 7 Bath Town Council meeting, Councilwoman Rebecca MacLeod, also a member of the NBRT task force for the town, said there is no news as to what is happening with the trail construction and the project has shut down for the winter.
The next Rail Trail meeting will be held on February 26.
