PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — The one-mile extension to the bike and walking path near Riverside Drive in Presque Isle is nearly complete and residents are already using it, Presque Isle Parks and Recreation director Gene Cronin said Thursday.
The loop, named Mary’s Mile for its principal benefactor, Mary Smith, will be accessible in all seasons and offers plenty of light for day and night use.
While the loop was envisioned long before the COVID-19 pandemic, the city is finishing it at a time when the virus has led to a resurgence in outdoor recreation. People are already taking walks around the path, Cronin said.
Gene Cronin, Presque Isle Rec and Parks director. (David Marino | The Star-Herald)
“It’s really nice,” Cronin said. “With COVID right now, it’s extra special to see people out and doing things that give them enjoyment.”
Philanthropist Mary Smith provided practically all the approximately $1 million in funding required for the project. The loop is named to honor her contribution, with a sign likely to be installed in the spring.
The path went to bid in December 2019, with Presque Isle-based company Trombley beginning construction in June. There are only some minor changes — including planting and grass work — required before the city will put out benches and tables in the spring, Cronin said.
The new loop begins at the Sargent Family Community Center’s back entrance, goes around Presque Isle District Court before crossing Riverside Drive and going past the playground and baseball field. The path ends after crossing Chapman Read near the community center.
Cronin said the most vital part of the new path is that it links all of Riverside’s popular venues. He said the loop provides several new opportunities for residents, and parents who bring their children to soccer or baseball practice can take a walk along the path while remaining near their children.
A portion of the nearly complete Riverside Drive walking path, a one-mile extension of the Presque Isle Bike and Walking Path. (David Marino Jr. | The Star-Herald)
While Cronin expects the highest traffic to come in the warmer months, he believes residents will use use the path in the wintertime as well, since the city will maintain and snow-blow the walkway. Winter recreation is common in Presque Isle, with some frequently exercising outside even during the city’s harsh winters.
The loop adds a section to Presque Isle’s existing 4 1/2- mile bike path. Designed in the 1980s, the path begins on North Street near the fire and police departments, wends across State and Academy Streets, behind Pine Street Elementary School and up a portion of University Street, connecting with the University of Maine at Presque Isle and down St. John Street to Chapman Street, and from there to the playground and splash pad at Riverside Drive.
The city also made great efforts to make the route scenic, planting over 250 trees and a lot of meadowgrass, which will eventually grow wildflowers.
Cronin said there was always room for expansion, and he hopes to eventually see a path that goes through the entirety of downtown Presque Isle.
He said he looks forward to seeing residents from Presque Isle and elsewhere take strolls around the park in the coming months. He was particularly proud of the new path’s accessibility — there is ample parking in downtown Presque Isle to begin the trek, and it is well-lit to allow those navigating the trail at night to feel safe.
“It’s a big deal,” Cronin. “It’s a nice path that people are going to be able to exercise and walk on.”
