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The recently opened 7.6-mile Sudbury to Hudson segment of the Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) has been named a 2026 Public Works Project of the Year by the American Public Works Association (APWA). The national award recognizes excellence in project management and administration, highlighting the successful collaboration between state agencies, contractors, and design consultants. The project fell in the Small Cities/Rural Communities division, in the category of Historical Restoration/Preservation.
Opened earlier this year, the Sudbury-Hudson segment is described as a dual-purpose infrastructure initiative. The project transformed an inactive rail corridor into a rail trail, built directly above a newly installed underground electric transmission line. The local segment provides access to a regional trail network spanning conservation lands, state forests and nearly a dozen towns.
Preserving the corridor’s history was a central focus of the project, though it didn’t come without challenges. The award article highlights a cattle pass discovery. During excavation for the new trail, construction crews uncovered a buried cattle pass, a historic feature originally built by the railroad to allow local farm cattle to pass safely under the tracks to the river.
The discovery required the parties involved to coordinate with the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the Massachusetts Historical Commission to realign the underground utility duct bank. Following input from local historic commissions and the USACE, the team also adapted their designs mid-construction to preserve more of the existing historic rails than initially planned. Today, trail users can see these preservation efforts as salvaged and preserved artifacts adorn the trail.
The APWA award honors the cooperative achievements of the primary teams that brought the project to life: the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), which served as the managing agency; primary contractor E.T.& L. Corp.; and primary consultant VHB. The project was nominated for the national honor by the APWA New England Chapter.
You can read the full award narrative and browse other winning projects HERE.