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In an October 11 update from Eversource regarding the installation of underground transmission lines in Sudbury and Hudson, the company provided a glimpse into the coming months. Eversource is looking at project completion soon, and expects to put the transmission lines in service very soon. Perhaps more important for Sudbury residents: Eversource announced that the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s (DCR) installation of the Mass Central Rail Trail could start as early as spring 2025.
This is an update on activities related to the Eversource 115-kilovolt (kV) Underground Transmission Project. Eversource is aiming to place the transmission line in service in the coming months which will conclude the Eversource portion of the work in the Inactive MBTA corridor in Sudbury and Hudson. Other restoration activities will be ongoing throughout the rest of 2024. From there, Eversource will turn over work in the inactive MBTA corridor to the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) who will install the new shared-use rail trail starting as soon as Spring 2025.
Eversource Update — October 11, 2024
This timeline was also discussed in an October 9 meeting of the Sudbury Rail Trails Advisory Committee. Member Glenn Pransky told the committee that things could move quickly thanks to funding from the American Rescue Plan Act:
“It seems as though paving might occur in the spring and they have ARPA funds that they’d like to use for this. They’ve prioritized paving this, which is extremely good news for us because that means the whole thing could be done pretty expeditiously and without a whole drawn-out process.”
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Pransky went on to note that DCR will be looking for input from Sudbury on trail connects. He noted that a connection into Mill Village from the trail might be a larger, longer-term project, but some other connections might be able to be worked into the project.
Later in the meeting, Pransky presented a recap of a recent exploratory ride across the state along the Mass Central Rail Trail. The ride went from Northampton to Boston over the course of several days, and stopped for community events in various communities.
One of the highlights of the presentation was the discussion about the “diamond” — which is the area in Sudbury where the Mass Central Rail Trail and Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will intersect. That area has regularly been described as a major opportunity for Sudbury, as it can move trail users through Sudbury’s commercial hub in four different directions.
Pranksy presented his takeaways for Sudbury after completing the ride along the complete path of the MCRT:
So construction of the Mass Central Rail Trail can be seen on the horizon, but Sudbury is already becoming a hub of rail trail activity. The Sudbury portion of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which is technically not open yet, is actively used by the public on a daily basis, and is already becoming a routine recreational destination for Sudbury residents. There’s more work ahead, including the phase of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail that makes the connection to Framingham, but something is different these days:
After years, even decades, of perceived delays and false starts, things are suddenly moving faster than expected in Sudbury.
That’s welcome news for trail advocates, and it raises an important question… Can Sudbury’s Town government shift gears to make the most out of the opportunities, and mitigate some of the operational challenges of becoming a town with two rail trails?
