The stairs from Joseph Hancock Park to the Western Maryland Rail Trail have been replaced and are ready to use.
The funding for the project came through Project Open Space grants and was completed by REM, the lone bidder for the project.
Town officials awarded the contract to REM during the June town meeting with a bid of $20,500. The grant for the project was $49,115.
Due to costs rising since the initial bid was open, Town Manager Mike Faith said the actual amount is a little higher than the original bid amount.
However, there is going to be some money left over and he is discussing with town officials what to do at the stairs with the left-over funds.
The wood for the steps and railings on the trail were pressure treated, Faith said, and it just looks lighter than usual. The previous stairs had creosote railroad ties in them, but the creosote didn’t seep all the way through to the middle, so they started rotting from the inside out.
The stone around the stairs is stone dust and is permeable so it won’t wash out as easy as before.
Along the one side is black mulch that put down to cover up where the bobcat used in the project tore up the area.
Faith said the mulch is to dress up the area and help bikers get their bicycles up the hill.
