BIDDEFORD — The first installment of the much-anticipated Biddeford RiverWalk, which had been in the planning stages for several years, was begun this year and nearly completed. Plans to add new components to the walkway, which borders the Saco River, are in the works for 2013.

Phase I of the RiverWalk begins at Mechanics Park, at the intersection of Main and Water streets, and continues into the mill district in front of North Dam Mill.

Features include “a new approach from Mechanics Park and a new RiverWalk entrance. Granite steps, new plantings, lighting and cobblestones make an attractive gateway to RiverWalk Plaza, offering sweeping views of the Saco River, both upriver and down,” according to an email statement from RiverWalk Coalition Project Director Alix Hopkins.

One hindrance to future plans is now out of the way. The City of Biddeford now owns the land between North Dam Mill and the Mill at Saco Falls, the area where the RiverWalk will continue.

The land was acquired from NextEra Energy Resources, the former Florida Power & Light Company, according to the city website.

Next on the plan is the construction of a pedestrian bridge to connect the Biddeford and Saco mill districts. According to Hopkins, construction is planned for spring 2013, depending on funding.

In 2011, Biddeford and Saco received $256,000 from the Maine Department of Transportation’s Quality Communities Program for engineering plans for the bridge, which will be approximately 8 feet wide by 140 feet long, said Tansley at the time of the award.

At that time, Tansley also said he expected the twin cities to receive funding from the same MDOT program to pay for bridge construction.

If completed, the bridge would “offer unprecedented off-road access between Saco and Biddeford, and to the Amtrak station between both cities,” according to Hopkins.

A new boat launch could also be located adjacent to the RiverWalk at Mechanics Park.

This year, the city received a grant from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Forestry & Conservation to pay for a design of the launch.

If the launch is eventually built, it would “open up whole new possibilities for recreation, including boating and fishing, to residents and visitors alike,” wrote Hopkins.

People could launch kayaks, canoes and paddle boards off Mechanics Park and explore the Saco River, she stated.

Once complete, the RiverWalk will connect from Biddeford’s Main Street to Elm Street. The city is negotiating with area businesses to create access points in and around the RiverWalk, according to the Biddeford website.

To make it easy to get travel between downtown Biddeford and the RiverWalk, the city plans to post wayfinding signs.

The long-term vision for the RiverWalk is that it be part of a walking path connecting to other local, state and even national trails.

“The RiverWalk sits at the crossroads of local, regional, statewide and national trails ”“ a fact that we find somewhat unique and compelling,” stated Hopkins. “Not only will the RiverWalk intersect with local city trails, it also will connect with Saco Bay Trails, the Eastern Trail and the East Coast Greenway (from Calais to Key West, Fla.).

“As such, it can be the catalyst for further trail development across the cities ”“ and as an economic, cultural, historic, environmental and educational amenity for Biddeford, Saco and beyond.”

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.