Transportation Planning

Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway

project pic

View of the Deerfield River from the Mohawk Trail in Charlemont.

Project Overview

The National Scenic Byway Program is a federal transportation program that provides funding for eligible scenic byway projects. In order for a scenic byway to be eligible to receive funding, the road must be officially designated as a scenic byway and a corridor management plan must be completed. The Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway is one of five State designated scenic byways in Franklin County, and was one of the earliest scenic byways in New England receiving its designation in 1953. The Byway travels on Route 2 through Berkshire, Franklin and Worcester counties. In Franklin County, the Byway travels through the towns of Charlemont, Buckland, Shelburne, Greenfield, Gill, Erving, and Orange. A corridor management plan was completed in 2002 for the western section of the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway from Williamstown to Greenfield.  In 2009 a corridor management plan was completed for the eastern section of the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway from Greenfield to Athol.  Both of these plans include inventories of the historic, cultural and natural resources; scenic landscape assessments; inventories of the heritage and recreational attractions; evaluations of the existing land use regulations and resource protection measures for the towns along the byway; and lists of recommended future actions that are intended to balance future growth with the preservation of the Byway’s resources. 

Current Activities

The FRCOG is working to implement the recommendations of the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plans (June 2002 and June 2009). Funding has been secured through the National Scenic Byway Program to complete a number of the recommendations identified in the plans. The FRCOG has recently completed several projects and continues advocating for the advancement of other projects that have received funding but are not yet under contract for implementation. The projects that have recently been finished include: the completion of tourism and historic facilities improvements (including signs for historic sites, information kiosks, vista pruning, and the identification of an access point for kayaks and canoes along the Deerfield River) and the purchase of scenic easements along the Mohawk Trail (132 acres of scenic and prime farmland have been permanently protected).

In addition, work was completed on a corridor management plan for the 29-mile eastern portion of the Mohawk Trail (from Greenfield to Athol). The study area for the Mohawk Trail East Corridor Management Plan included Route 2 and/or Route 2A and a one half mile buffer strip along each side of the road within the towns of Greenfield, Gill, Montague, Wendell, Erving, Orange, and Athol. Final chapters and maps of the Mohawk Trail East Corridor Management Plan are listed below:

The projects that are being advanced include: the completion of a marketing plan to promote viable low impact year round tourism and improvements at the Upper Pioneer Valley Visitors Center in Greenfield.

Please contact Elizabeth Giannini if you have any questions about the Draft Report, or would like to offer comments.

Future Plans

The FRCOG will continue to work to secure funding to implement the recommendations of the two Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway Corridor Management Plans.

Links

Federal Scenic Byway Program website (http://www.byways.org/)

Page last updated 8/5/10 .

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