New Sidewalk Project Near Completion in Marshfield

A sidewalk project years in the making is finally taking shape in Marshfield, and city leaders say it will make it safer and easier for people to walk between neighborhoods, schools and parks.

Mayor Natalie McNish said the project began shortly after she took office in 2020, when the city applied for a grant to improve pedestrian connections. The goal was to link the existing trail near the Marshfield Family Aquatic Center along North Elm Street with the Highway 103 interchange, Route CC and the Marshfield school campus.

McNish said construction is now underway and the sidewalks are expected to be completed before students return to school in August.

The project has taken several years to reach the construction stage. During that time, the city worked with property owners to obtain easements and carefully planned the route. One big reason for the placement was due to the fact that if we put it all on one side, it would have been really close to those houses. Most of the property owners have been so good to work with to bring this project to fruition.

Sam Rost, City Administrator, says since receiving the grant, city leaders have worked through planning, easements, right-of-way acquisition,  and design.

Rost also says rather than following a straight path, the sidewalk was routed to avoid impeding existing housing too much, disturbing mature trees, and to preserve existing stormwater drainage along North Elm Street.

Once the sidewalks are complete, the city also plans to pave North Elm Street from Hubble Drive to Route DD, giving the corridor some much-needed attention for both pedestrian traffic along with road improvements to one of the busiest roads in town.

The new sidewalks are expected to provide a safer route for students walking between school buildings and city parks, while also giving residents another place to walk for exercise.

"Every time I drive through there, there are people out walking and enjoying that area," McNish said. "I hope to see that continue farther into town, and I hope the school district is able to use it as well."

McNish said safety has been one of the biggest priorities throughout the project. Plans also include solar-powered lights at crosswalks to alert drivers where pedestrians may be crossing from one side of the street to the other.

When complete, the project will create another connected section of Marshfield's growing trail and sidewalk network, giving residents a safer way to get around while encouraging more people to enjoy walking through the community.