Getting back to the blog after another long break. This time, I had the best possible excuse for a break!
Last month, MassDOT held a public information meeting to present an updated design for Phase 2 of the Twin Cities Rail Trail.
Phase 2 is a short but important connection: a bridge over the North Nashua River and MBTA railroad tracks bringing the trail all the way into downtown Fitchburg and the Montachusett Regional Transit Authority (MART) Intermodal Station. The station is the second-last stop on the MBTA Fitchburg Line commuter rail from Boston North Station, and it is a hub for MART bus routes serving Fitchburg and Leominster.
MassDOT’s slideshow from the meeting and a great video rendering of the proposed bridge are linked to on the Twin Cities Rail Trail Association’s website. MassDOT’s project page is here. The video is also posted on the association’s Facebook page.
The 4-mile Phase 1 of the Twin Cities Rail Trail opened last summer, running from Carter Park in Leominster north to Railroad St./4th St. in Fitchburg. Not surprisingly, it already seems to be popular, as the first annual Community Ride was held on May 7, and the local Rotary Club has put in new benches along the corridor. But to get across the river now into downtown Fitchburg or to the transit hub, people have to walk or bike along busy streets.
MassDOT is updating a previous (2019) conceptual design for the Phase 2 bridge. The revised alignment includes a longer switchback on the south side of the river, elevated with retaining walls, to gradually climb the trail to achieve the vertical clearance needed for the crossing of the tracks. The current alignment also crosses the tracks further south than the 2019 alignment. On the north side, a long elevated bridge/retaining wall segment brings the trail gently back to grade in the MART Intermodal Station parking lot.
The trail will be 14-16 ft. wide with protective fencing. The project will add a bike shelter and bike rack at the intermodal center trailhead, lighting on the bridge, new landscaping, and a crosswalk across Railroad St.
Design is expected to progress from the current 25% preliminary phase to 75% plans by summer, and 100% plans by late fall. Environmental permitting is also underway. ROW acquisition and advertising for construction bids is expected in 2024, with construction expected in the 2025-27 timeframe.
Jeff Brubaker 