FARMINGTON – People are trying to raise money to put down a harder surface on 14.5 miles of a former railroad bed trail.

The plan includes rebuilding an old railroad trestle across the Sandy River to connect West Farmington to Farmington via the trail.

Organizers believe hardening the surface of the sandy trail and restoring the bridge, taken down after the 1987 flood, would bring more tourism to the area and more money.

They also hope the trail would prompt more people to use it, increasing physical activity and preventing disease.

It would also give children a safer place to ride a bike, they said.

The trail runs from Jay, with a parking area behind Jay Plaza, through Wilton into Farmington and stops behind Jack’s Logging on Oakes Street.

At times the trail, used by snowmobilers, all-terrain vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists, runs parallel to routes 2 and 4 in Jay and Wilton.

If the bridge is restored, it would give snowmobilers a safer crossing of the Sandy River. The bridge would link the 14.5-mile trail to downtown Farmington and the University of Maine at Farmington.

It would also connect with other trails that head north to Rangeley and Canada, said Sandy Richard, a member of the Healthy Community Coalition. There are already existing trails such as the ones that go along power lines on the other side of Flint woods and behind Edgewood Manor, she said.

Members of the group include representatives of snowmobile and ATV clubs, the coalition, Maine departments of conservation and transportation, UMF, Farmington-Wilton Chamber of Commerce and Farmington Transportation Advisory Committee.

Bob Bachorik, a member of the Transportation Advisory Committee, said he has been leading the effort for about four months.

Part of Farmington’s Comprehensive Plan has a section about bicycle trails, he said.

The group’s mission is to upgrade the abandoned rail line from Jay to downtown Farmington so that it becomes a hard surface, multiuse backbone for safe, alternative transportation and recreation between communities and a path to connect businesses, the hospital complex and schools.

They also want to upgrade the trail surface so bikes can ride on it.

Farmington selectmen had a brief presentation on the proposal Tuesday night.

It would cost an estimated $1 million, with the hope that 80 percent or $800,000 would be picked up by a federal grant, leaving $200,000 or 20 percent picked up by local funding.

Bachorik said the group has already made a presentation to members of the Farmington Rotary Club. He asked that they be able to do the same at a future selectmen’s meeting. Board members welcomed the idea.

Bachorik said that if the bridge was rebuilt, it could make Farmington known as a destination place for snowmobilers.

Communities are now making more money in winter than in summer with snowmobilers traveling the trails, Bachorik said. A state marketing report shows that bicyclists bring $55 to $60 a day in revenue into towns and snowmobilers bring $200 to $300 a day into towns.

Bachorik estimated that it would cost $500,000 to put down a harder surface on the 14.5 mile trail. And it is estimated it would cost about $500,000 to fix the bridge. The group is exploring options to restore the bridge and different avenues to raise money to cover costs of upgrading the trail.

“There are lots of decisions to be made yet,” he said. “We’re trying to do it with minimal cost. It’s a beautiful path, and not many people” know about it.

Farmington Selectman Mark Cayer said he rode the trail on a bike and it “almost killed” him due to the soft surface.

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