The City of New Haven is collaborating with neighbors and volunteers with the construction of the Mill River Trail. For decades, community groups in New Haven have sought to mitigate the barriers to coastal access created by highway infrastructure and an industrial past. The Mill River Trail project began with a group of volunteers working to clean up the river bank. These efforts catalyzed a collaboration by local environmental groups, private property owners, and the City of New Haven to plan and build the trail.

The Mill River Trail, now in Phase 1 implementation, will connect East Rock Park to the New Haven Harbor. An important link in a larger trail network, the Mill River Trail provides alternative transportation opportunities and improves public access to the waterfront. Native plantings and riverbank biostabilization improve resilience and restore habitat. The last mile of the Mill River runs through an industrial district with a legacy of contamination. By bringing public attention and active recreational use to the Mill River, this project will support the health of New Haven residents and our local waterways.

The first phase of the trail is located between Grand Avenue and John Murphy Drive. Future sections connect south to River Street and north through the new DISTRICT project on State Street and to East Rock Park.

For information, go to the Mill River Trail website.

Resources

• Mill River Trail Website
• Mill River Trail Framework Plan
• “Mill River Trail’s Phase One Approved” (New Haven Independent, April 2018)
• “Mill River trail celebrated in New Haven” (New Haven Register, October 2018)
• “Groundbreaking held Tuesday for new Mill River Trail” (WTNH, October 2018)