LYNNFIELD — Town Administrator Rob Dolan has announced that the 4.4-mile Wakefield-to-Lynnfield Rail Trail project continues to progress toward the November 2024 bid advertisement date.
The project’s lead engineer, WorldTech, recently submitted a 25 percent design to MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation) and is working toward completing and submitting the 75-percent design by May 2023.
Under the direction of WorldTech, BETA Engineering is working on the hydraulic study, which will determine if there are any significant environmental impacts the project needs to address. Dolan said BETA will also prepare many of the structural and landscaping items, some of which were included for preliminary review in the 25-percent design submittal. Wakefield-based LEC Associates will have the primary responsibility for permitting, which will commence in 2022.
According to Dolan, due to the proposed trail being installed through Reedy Meadow, there will be numerous permits required by federal, state, and local agencies. Funding for this project (estimated by Department of Public Works Director John Tomasz to be $12 million) is primarily through the state Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) which, working with MassDOT, provides review and guidance through the entirety of the project.
“The design process is relatively uncomplicated, the permitting process poses challenges due to Reedy Meadow and the number of agencies that will be involved,” he said. “You have environmental impact reports, you have to work with conservation and water-quality people and the Army Corps of Engineers, so while we are on track, we aren’t where we would like to be, but that’s extremely common for a project involving an environmentally sensitive property like Reedy Meadow. Nothing is black and white, it’s all gray. We fully expect there will be minor changes, but that’s entirely normal for a project like this.”
“Moving forward, I expect the permitting piece is going to be the tougher part of the process, but the rail trail will be a tremendous asset to our community,” said Select Board member Phil Crawford. “I hope it will be up and running with the original design.”
Crawford said the town had conducted multiple studies about 10 years ago and all of them came back with residents saying the No. 1 want in Lynnfield was additional recreational trails.
“This project ties in beautifully with the recent developments with the Richardson Green property,” Crawford said. “Together the two projects will serve the wants and needs of the community for more recreational space while preserving the environment.”
The rail trail was approved by Lynnfield voters at a September 2019 Town Meeting by a 585-to-380 margin. The article had been put on the warrant via a citizens’ petition filed by the Friends of the Lynnfield Rail Trail.
The proposed trail extends from the Galvin Middle School in Wakefield north to the Lynnfield/Peabody town line. Approximately 1.9 miles are located in Wakefield and 2.5 miles are located in Lynnfield.
The trail corridor is the southern section of the former Newburyport Railroad, which connected Wakefield to Newburyport. The corridor connects, via Peabody and Danvers, to the Border to Boston Trail, a proposed 30-mile rail trail (or shared-use path) linking eight Essex County communities: Danvers, Wenham, Topsfield, Boxford, Georgetown, Newbury, Newburyport and Salisbury. As envisioned, the trail will connect areas of cultural, economic, social, and natural significance along the multi-community corridor and provide a non-motorized transportation option for users.
“Rail trails are an asset and half to communities, everyone is doing them and they do nothing but improve the community,” Tomasz said.
“We look forward to providing updates as this import project progresses,” Dolan said.
