Construction Ashuwillticook Rail Trail Extension to Pittsfield Begins

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County's rail trail will continue into Pittsfield in the next year and then through South County in the future.

In mid-December, construction began on the extension of the Ashuwillticook Rail Trail that will connect Adams to Pittsfield.

This 1.56-mile extension will run south from the vicinity of mall Connector Road to Crane Avenue. The trail will be a 10 feet-wide, paved, shared-use path that is part of the trail system that currently runs nearly 13 miles through Lanesborough to Lime Street in Adams.

The trail extension currently under design will travel along Route 8 for several hundred feet and then around the boundaries of Unistress Construction yard. It will then go back up to the former Housatonic Railroad rail bed and at that point will stay on the old rail bed straight down to Crane Avenue.

The rail right of way was recently acquired by the state and is now under the control of the state Department of Transportation. The trail will be completely off-roadway and will cross the Connector Road and the access road to the Berkshire County House of Correction at grade.

It will come out at John's Building Supply at 1 Crane Ave. and there will be a new parking lot and restrooms constructed on the southern side of the street.  

The trail is maintained by the state Department of Conversation and Recreation. The goal is to connect the county through the rail trail; a Williamstown section is out to bid and a one-mile North Adams leg is still in the planning stage.  

This past fall, Maximilian Industries of Pittsfield was awarded the Pittsfield project.

The next phase of work after the completion of the Pittsfield extension will be to extend the trail farther into the city.

“The idea is that this bike path continues straight through the Berkshires,” McGrath said. “It connects from Pittsfield to Lenox and through Stockbridge and to Great Barrington, that’s the long-range vision that this is a county bike path.”

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.