WESTFIELD - Many people come to Westfield for the Columbia Greenway Rail Trail. It extends to the Southwick town line and into Farmington, Connecticut. 

“I enjoy being out here,” said John Hoyt of Granby. 

Hoyt is retired and he brought his bike out to enjoy the warm weather. 

“This is my first ride up this far, this year,” said Hoyt. 

Anyone who rides on the trail has noticed construction being done. 

“Most people would be surprised to find out the total cost is 20 million dollars,” said Dan Allie, Westfield city councilor.

The central phases of this project will connect the trail from Main street to the Westfield River.

It’s 3 miles from that point and when they add a bridge in, it will add another half mile to the trail. 

“So you're gonna be able to go to the downtown area, get off at certain sections, so its very walkable and bike-able in that regard,” said Allie. 

He also says increased funding for roads has been a priority. He says he’s worked on this at the state and local level for 8 years. 

“It  is a concern for drivers and even if you're on a bicycle, driving legally, you want to be safe. You only need one accident,” said Allie. 

Although the project is a long time coming, bicyclist are happy to see it underway. 

“I heard for a couple years they were gonna do it, and I think all the bikers will benefit instead of having to turn about to get back,” said Hoyt. 

The city says the construction will have little to no impact on the daily commute. 

“Most of the work will be done after peak hours or after hours,” said Allie. 

The new trail segment will take two construction seasons to complete. The city says it could be open to pedestrian and bike traffic by the end of 2021.