MATTAPOISETT – Members of the Bike Path Study Committee visited the Select Board on Tuesday, April 5, to ask for the green light to submit a $6.4 million dollar grant application for federal funding.

The timeline will be tight.

Robin Lepore, a member of the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path, said that the notice of grant availability was posted on March 22, and applications are due April 14.

She has already begun writing the application in preparation. Once written, Lepore will share it for internal review.

“It’s highly competitive,” said Lepore, “in the past, they basically gave one grant per state.”

The committee previously sought $8.5 million in federal funds and did not get it. But with more infrastructure money available from the federal government, there is now more money available.

However, Lepore is optimistic this time around.

Jaqueline Jones of the Southeastern Regional Planning and Economic Development District, told Lepore that among all the projects submitted, Mattapoisett’s bike path is in a good position for potential funding because a lot of the design work has already been done.

The money being requested would cover the cost of the completion of the bike path from Depot Street to the Industrial Drive connector.

The grant will include a 20% town contribution, which Lepore thinks they can obtain through the help of the Transportation Bond Bill, the Mattapoisett Rail Trail, and the Friends of the Mattapoisett Bicycle and Recreational Path.

While the select board was supportive, members were concerned about spending more town money on the project.

“I won’t support giving any money from the town if we can’t figure out another way to get it, just so you know,” said Select Board Chairman Jordan Collyer.

If this funding is approved, construction could start as soon as 2023.

Collyer said that he would walk with Town Administrator Michael Lorenco and Massachusetts Department of Transportation engineers this week to assess the current state of the path. The date that they will be able to open the path is still uncertain.

“We are moving on the right path to get this where we need to,” Collyer said.