Donation Form for OR Pedestrian Bridge Project

A call for help with the last phase of the Oyster River Bridge Project

We are nearing completion of a pedestrian bridge over the Oyster River.  It will link the center of Durham with miles of forest trails in a network extending south to the town’s recreational facilities at Doe Farm.  It will also permit much easier and safer walking and biking among Durham neighborhoods.  The area’s residents and UNH students will both benefit from this new resource.  Click HERE to view the Stevens Woods Trail Map.

The project’s first goal was to acquire and protect Stevens Woods, a 25 acre parcel of undeveloped land at the end of Orchard Drive just south of the Oyster River. That was accomplished last year. The second goal was to construct trails on the newly acquired land while connecting them with Orchard Drive and with the existing trail network on UNH and state lands. That is nearly done. The third goal is to build a pedestrian bridge from the end of Thompson Lane across the Oyster River to the new trails. We hope to complete the construction before 2021. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony the bridge will be named in honor of Kenny Rotner to acknowledge his 30 years of extraordinary service to the region as  a physician and public servant.

Towards Goal #3 the Town of Durham’s Patron’s Trust has received more  than 240 donations totaling over $149,000 plus an $80,000 grant provided  by the NH Recreational Trails Program to support construction of the bridge. We need to raise an additional $46,000 to complete the project.  Every contribution will be used solely to finance the construction work. Every gift will be effectively doubled by a matching fund provided for that purpose. Please help us complete the project through a donation by check or by credit card. 

Progress on the Oyster River Bridge

Preliminary work has begun near the end of Orchard Drive to clear a path down to the river. Next week will see the start of construction on the southern abutment for the new pedestrian bridge. This will link the Faculty Neighborhood into the extensive trail system down to Doe Farm and connect Durham neighborhoods. Over 240 resident have donated to the project. Only $46,000 remains to be raised to complete the effort. More information on contributing to the project is available at https://cutt.ly/oysterbridgedonate. For more information you can watch a six minute video describing the project.