Site work, paving and outdoor lighting for a road / highway in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Conceptual plans call for site work for a road / highway; and for paving for a road / highway.

The intent of the "Mascoma Street Connector" project is to construct a 10-foot wide, approximately 1,000-foot-long paved bicycle path from just north of the bridge where the Mascoma River Greenway crosses 1-89 to Mascoma St., along the north side of the I-89 right of way corridor (adjacent to Valley Cemetery). The path will then cross along the western boundary of property recently purchased by the City and connect to the access driveway of the Boston Lot trails/conservation area onto Mascoma St. The Mascoma River Greenway (MRG) is a 4-mile multi-use separated pathway starting from the current terminus of the Northern Rail Trail at Spencer Street in downtown Lebanon. The MRG is a core. transportation corridor for bikes and pedestrians through the heart of Lebanon and West Lebanon, connecting Lebanon's neighborhoods with workplaces, schools, open spaces, shopping areas, restaurants, a medical center and transit stops. There are current projects planned that will connect the MRG to 12A at Powerhouse Mall. The Boston Lot Conservation area comprises 436 acres with seven miles of trail and recreational access to Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and surrounding neighborhoods. The proposed path alignment is currently wooded and undeveloped land, sloping upwards from 1-89 to the back portion of the Valley Cemetery, and flat grades on top of the highway embankment from the cemetery to Mascoma St. There are remnants of an old access road that part of the new path will be located on. The exact location of NHDOT and City right of way (ROW) is unknown, ROW lines have been obtained from tax map information but a more accurate reestablishment of the ROW through deed research and survey will be needed in the future. The City Planning and RAP departments have talked to the State DOT about permitting for this project and they seem favorable. There is an existing chain link fence that runs along the eastern boundary of the cemetery to Mascoma St. The City of Lebanon has recently purchased the property of 226 Mascoma St. and anticipates using a portion of the property to build the bike path. The Walk Bike Ride Lebanon Plan (WBRL; final draft, May 2023) identified this project as a priority through an extensive engagement process that included interdepartmental City staff and 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program multiple public outreach efforts. This path connection will provide Mascoma Street-area residents access to the MRG and allow MRG users a safe and convenient access to the Boston Lot, which is open to hiking, biking, snowshoeing, ski touring, as well as hunting, fishing, and camping. As a matter of equity, the path would provide direct non-vehicular access to the Boston Lot, which currently is accessed most readily by vehicles. The project will also help address a longstanding City concern about people cutting through the cemetery to travel between the MRG and Mascoma Street/Boston Lot and causing related damage to that land. This path will also help connect the residential developments on Mascoma Street/Old Pine Tree Cemetery Road to access the MRG and thus Downtown, Alice Peck Day Hospital, and 12A/West Lebanon. The WBRL plan includes a more detailed description of engineering review, and conceptual project costs that are enclosed here. Total project cost (including engineering, survey, permitting, right of way and construction) is approximately $293,000 in 2023 dollars and $408,000 in 2035 dollars using 2.8% inflation per year. 10% indirect costs have been added to the project costs for administration and construction engineering. It assumes LPA process and associated cost escalation, should the project be funded in part with a federal grant. Private contributions are anticipated to be an important factor in the successful funding of this project, to provide any local match requirements to the greatest extent possible, focusing on stakeholders with recreational interests The project is included in the City's 2026-2031 Capital Improvement Program (CIP). As of January 12, 2026, further details have not yet been identified. *Project information has been obtained through a public capital improvement plan (CIP). A CIP is a financial schedule for short- and long-range projects which is updated regularly. Information listed in the CIP often evolves based on funding availability and the project details, including timeline and value, are subject to change. The content management team will continue to pursue additional details as they become available.