A community group’s dream of reconnecting the old Bermuda Railway Trail took a step closer to becoming reality at the weekend with the official opening of a new bridge over Store Hill.

The Friends of the Bermuda Railway have already renovated long stretches of the trail in Hamilton Parish with the help of generous donations and numerous volunteers.

The latest phase of the project has involved the construction of a bridge over Store Hill as well as an extensive clean-up of the trail either side of the crossing.

On Saturday Michael Dunkley joined the Governor, George Fergusson, and Craig Cannonier, the Minister of Public Works, for the opening of the bridge.

The Premier hailed the initiative as a great example of how the community and Government could work together for the benefit of Bermudians and visitors.

He then cut a ribbon — that was symbolically made in the colours of St George’s and Somerset — to officially open the bridge.

Mike Murphy, who together with his son, Tucker, has been at the forefront of the scheme, thanked the numerous volunteers who initially cleared the stretch of the trail. He said: “Deloitte, Worldwide Travel, Montpelier Re employee volunteers and the Under-17 National Rugby Team all helped to cut and carry away over 15 years of undergrowth to prep the site around the bridge and the trail.”

Mr Fergusson urged residents to take pride in the trail and take responsibility for keeping it clean. He also thanked Fabian Minors, who lives on the trail in Devonshire, for having adopted the section west of Store Hill by keeping it trimmed and clean and setting a great example for the community.