The Friends of the Bermuda Railway Trail have unveiled the latest stage of their project to reconnect the old trail and construct a bridge across the Flatts Inlet.

Dozens of residents attended a public meeting in Hamilton last week organised by the charity and the Parks Department to share its proposals through a video presentation.

The FBRT project has already seen new bridges installed at Store Hill and Bailey’s Bay as well as a raft of upgrades to the trail across the island.

Under the latest plans, which were recently submitted to the Department of Planning, a bridge will also be built over North Shore Road close to Gibbet Island in Smith’s that will join up with the trail before continuing across the inlet.

Mike Murphy, who together with his son Tucker has spearheaded the scheme, said: “We were very pleased with the turnout at the meeting and the overwhelming support we have received on the Flatts project from all walks of life in our diverse community.

“It has been a total community effort to take us to this point in connecting the trail. We hope that the grassroots community effort will continue to keep the trail open and well maintained throughout the years to come.”

Sylvan Richards, the Minister of the Environment, hotel bosses and Hamilton Parish council members spoke out in support of the initiative during last Thursday’s meeting. David Parker, director of facilities operations for the Fairmont Southampton, spoke on behalf of the hotel, the Hotel Association and the Bermuda Tourism Authority and thanked the FBRT for its efforts with the project.

Amoti Nyabongo, a member of the Hamilton Parish Council, added: “As a resident of Hamilton Parish and a member of the parish council I am always looking for new ways to improve the quality of life for our residents and also ways to enhance the visitor experience whether they be fellow Bermudians or visitors from abroad.

The plans state that the bridge and the approach will be set at 22ft 6in; providing 20ft of clearance through Flatts Inlet at high water, similar to Watford Bridge.

The bridge over North Shore Road will provide a minimum of 16ft 6in of clearance for vehicles travelling along the road in accordance with recommendations from the Highways Section of Public Works.

“The bridges will be constructed according to standard specifications and employ solid stainless steel fixings, mounting brackets and safety rails,” the application states.

“Bridges will be designed to meet category 3 to 4 hurricane criteria, and are the same or similar to the models used at Bailey’s Bay and Winton Hill, which have been tested by four recent hurricanes in Bermuda without incurring structural damage from the wind or the water.”