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The Mass Central Rail Trail (MCRT) is soon to be under construction in Sudbury according to comments from a Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) representative.
During the November 6 meeting of Sudbury’s Rail Trail Advisory Committee, DCR’s Amber Christofferson informed the committee that they will be putting the project out to bid soon, and hope to have a contractor engaged by February 2025.
DCR has to spend approximately $5 million of funding for the project by June of next year. That means much of the work could be completed by the start of next summer.
“My goal is to hire a contractor by February because we have to spend this five million dollars by June 30th. That does’t mean the whole project will be done, but a vast portion of it will be done. Which is the paving, there’s a good amount of fencing, some signage, and maybe the traffic signals and crossings.”
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Christofferson presented the latest designs for the “diamond,” which is where the Mass Central Rail Trail and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail intersect.
The design is essentially a bike roundabout with a display at the center to honor the history of the railroads. The committee provided feedback on the design, and input on signage along the trail. One of the challenges discussed was the lack of sidewalks and bike lanes in proximity to the rail trail and the diamond in particular. That could be a safety issue if Sudbury wants to direct trail users to amenities and businesses in the commercial hub along Boston Post Road. The committee has been discussing trail connections for both rail trails over the last year, and more discussion and planning is expected in the future. (23:00)
Christofferson was candid that DCR is hoping for some local support with rail trail maintenance along the MCRT. She noted during the discussion that DCR has a very limited budget relative to the miles of trails and pathways they manage. She indicated that major capital improvements, such as repaving, fall to DCR in their typical agreements with towns. However, some towns support DCR with routine maintenance as part of their agreements. (32:25)
Marcia Rasmussen, the Planning and Development Assistant from the Town of Sudbury, also told the committee that the town’s new Director of Public Works is already working on a detailed maintenance plan for the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which will be the responsibility of the Town to maintain eventually. She felt the town would be prepared to accept responsibility for rail trail maintenance when the time comes, though a date for the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to turn the trail over to the Town has not been determined yet. (53:00)
