Bruce Freeman Rail Trail

The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is a partially-completed rail trail in Massachusetts. The path is a 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) paved multi-use trail, available for walking, running, biking, rollerblading, and other non-motorized uses.[1] It follows the right-of-way of the disused Framingham and Lowell Line of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad.[2] The constructed route connects with the Bay Circuit Trail, and Phase 2D will connect with the Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside.[3] The total planned length of the trail—which will eventually run continuously between Lowell and Framingham—is just under 25 miles (40 km).[1][2] The trail is named for Bruce Freeman, a state representative from Chelmsford who was an early political support of the project.[4] The trail is owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation from Lowell to South Sudbury.[5] In July 2020, MassTrails awarded Sudbury $300,000 to purchase the right-of-way from South Sudbury to the Framingham line.[6] In December 2022, Framingham signed a purchase-and-sale agreement with CSX to purchase the right-of-way.[7] The trail is maintained by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the communities through which the trail runs.[8]

Bruce Freeman Rail Trail
Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in South Chelmsford
Length15.08 miles (24.27 km) open, just under 25 miles (40 km) when complete
Began construction2009
UseHiking, bicycling, inline skating, cross-country skiing
DifficultyEasy
SeasonYear-round
SurfacePaved
Right of wayFormer Framingham and Lowell Railroad
Maintained byMassachusetts Department of Transportation and the communities through which the trail runs
Websitehttps://brucefreemanrailtrail.org/

Construction Status

The trail is divided into several phases of construction:[2]

  • Phase 2A: 4.9 miles (7.9 km) through Westford, Carlisle, and Acton (Route 225) to just north of Route 2). This segment began construction in June 2015 and opened on April 3, 2018.[10][11]
  • Phase 2B: 0.88 miles (1.42 km) in Acton and Concord, opened in May 2023 with a bridge spanning MA Route 2.[12]
  • Phase 2C: 2.5 miles (4.0 km) from Commonwealth Avenue to Powder Mill Road in Concord, with a short discontinuity at West Concord station. This $7.2 million segment began construction in July 2017 and opened on September 27, 2019.[13][14]
  • Phase 2D: 4.4 miles (7.1 km) in Sudbury from the town line to the Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside. Construction began in January 2023 and is expected to complete in early to mid 2024.[15]
  • Phase 3: 4.6 miles (7.4 km) from the Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside to Route 9 in Framingham: 1.4 miles (2.3 km) in Sudbury and 3.2 miles (5.1 km) in Framingham. Framingham and Sudbury were awarded $648,000 in MassTrails grants in 2022 to design Phase 3.[16] In 2023, Sudbury was awarded $192,000 in MassTrails grants to continue the design of Phase 3 from the 2D terminus in Sudbury to the Framingham town line.[17]

Proposed Trail Connections

The Mass Central Rail Trail - Wayside is under construction in Sudbury and estimated to complete in 2025, which will create a connection with the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.

The Upper Charles Trail Extension was proposed in 2022 to extend the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail's eventual southern terminus in Framingham to the existing Upper Charles River Rail Trail in Sherborn, Holliston, Milford, and Hopkinton, as well as the Bay Circuit Trail.[18]

A long term vision for the Concord River Greenway park in progress is to connect to the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in Lowell.[19]

References
  1. Lefferts, Jennifer Fenn (August 27, 2009). "Phase one of rail trail to open Sat". Boston Globe.
  2. "Bruce Freeman Rail Trail". Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
  3. "Existing and Proposed Facilities". Central Transportation Planning Staff. February 17, 2005 – via Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail.
  4. "About Bruce Freeman". Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  5. "Rail Trail Acronyms". Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. 2012-01-13. Retrieved 2023-10-02.
  6. "2020 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. July 2020. p. 8.
  7. "6,000 days later: Framingham on track for rail trail". MetroWest Daily News. Retrieved 2023-05-11.
  8. Smith, Margaret. "In Lowell, Bruce Freeman Rail Trail marks point of connection". Wicked Local. Retrieved 2023-09-30.
  9. "2019 MassTrails Grant Awards". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. 2019.
  10. "Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Next Phase Moves Forward" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. June 25, 2015.
  11. Fenn Lefferts, Jennifer (April 4, 2018). "New section of Freeman rail trail opens". The Boston Globe. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  12. "Visit the Trail". Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. 2011-03-27. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  13. "MassDOT, Concord Celebrate Bruce Freeman Rail Trail 2.5 Mile Extension" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. July 14, 2017.
  14. "MassDOT Celebrates Completion of Latest Phase of Bruce Freeman Rail Trail" (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. September 27, 2019.
  15. "Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Sudbury Information". Town of Sudbury. April 26, 2022.
  16. "2022 MassTrails Awards (81 Projects)". Commonwealth of Massachusetts. June 2022. pp. 4, 8.
  17. Massachusetts Trails Team (2023-06-14). "2023 MassTrails Grant Awards". MassTrails. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
  18. "Upper Charles Trail Extension". Solomon Foundation. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
  19. "Concord River Greenway Park". lowelllandtrust.org. Retrieved 2023-09-27.
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