Bruce Freeman Rail Trail In Sudbury Gets Approvals For Construction

Sudbury MA

09 May, 2022

12:56 PM

Description

SUDBURY, MA — Town Meeting last week cleared the way for the start of construction on a 4.4-mile section of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail through Sudbury. Town Meeting approved spending about $15,000 to acquire easements over private property for construction, and entered into a 99-year lease for $10 with the state to use a former rail corridor for a section of the trail. A second vote approved about nine easements over town land for future access to the trail — including sidewalks from parking lots. The first phase of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail through Sudbury will run from the Concord town line south to near Station Road at the Mass Central Rail Trail corridor. Town Meeting also approved two separate Community Preservation Act appropriations related to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. A $500,000 appropriation would go toward design features along the trail, including "rest area structures and interpretive signs, utility connections, graphic design and installation of interpretive signs," among other items. The second CPA appropriation for $300,000 would go toward the design and construction of the next phase of the rail trail through Sudbury. In December 2020, the town closed on the purchase of about 1.4 miles of former CSX railway corridor between Route 20 and the Framingham line. The trail will eventually span 25 miles from Lowell to near Route 9 in Framingham. The trail is complete nearly through Concord, leaving just the Sudbury and Framingham sections left to finish. Construction on the first phase of the trail in Sudbury will likely begin later in 2022. The final design of the trail is due out in June, according to the town.