Construction is under way this week on the Ma & Pa Heritage Trail as workers install a prefabricated bridge near the Bel Air Bypass, connecting the Bel Air and Forest Hill sections.

The Harford County Department of Parks and Recreation shared photos on social media Saturday of a bridge installation, announcing that as warmer weather continues, construction on segment three of the Ma & Pa Connector Trail is progressing. Construction activity will soon be increasing on both sides of the bypass, the post said.

“There has been interest in preservation of the Ma & Pa for recreation and transportation in Harford County for many years,” Angela Hoover, project manager for Parks and Recreation, said in a statement Monday. “Completion of this final segment of the Ma & Pa Trail will bring a 30-year vision to fruition!”

A 1.5-mile connector trail is being built as the final section of the trail, linking the North Avenue trailhead parking lot to the Melrose Lane trailhead at Blake’s Venture Park, according to Hoover. The project includes five elevated wooden boardwalks, two bridges, a retaining wall and a paved trail, and will require contractors to relocate fire hydrants and install additional signage and fencing.

Hoover stated that when the work is complete the trail will extend 8 miles, stretching from Edgeley Grove Park in Fallston, through Bel Air, to Friends Park in Forest Hill. The department received written authorization to begin construction in July, and it is expected to be completed by July of next year. A community input hearing was held Oct. 23 which gave residents the opportunity to comment on the project.

On social media, numerous commenters criticized the county’s allocation of tax dollars for the project, with many highlighting the need for road improvements or addressing the public school system’s budget deficit. “Another thing Harford County is using my taxes to pay for that I will never use!” one user wrote.

Hoover said that the connector trail cost more than $8 million to complete, with funding coming not only from Harford County government but also from the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Federal Transportation Alternative Program, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

County Executive Bob Cassilly defended the connector trail construction work on Friday, stating, “The Ma & Pa Trail project began 30 years ago when I was a newly elected Bel Air Town Commissioner. All these years later, it’s gratifying to serve as County Executive, overseeing the completion of its final phase.”

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