LYNNFIELD — Anyone hoping to finally be able to enjoy the Lynnfield-Wakefield Rail Trail (LWRT) is going to need to be patient – very patient. Construction on the project has been delayed for four years.
Department of Public Works Director John Tomasz said construction was originally slated to begin this spring, with completion in late 2023 or early 2024. But the project suffered significant design delays due to environmental permitting and other regulatory and design issues.
The bottom line? Construction has been pushed back to 2026.
Tomasz said the main design issues revolve around the construction of the elevated boardwalk in the Reedy Meadow and addressing the requirements of the various environmental regulatory agencies.
“The environmental permitting process has become so much more detailed and there are more requirements now,” Tomasz said. “The construction piece is relatively easy but there are way more players. You have the Army Corps of Engineers, the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection), MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation), National Heritage, among others, so there are many more challenges and things that recently popped up. Add to that that we can’t do any work from the end of March through October due to the nesting season. It’s a very narrow window.”
The LWRT is a proposed shared-use path that would connect Wakefield and Lynnfield utilizing an abandoned MBTA railbed. The LWRT will cover approximately 4.4 miles, with 2.53 miles in Lynnfield. It will also feature tie-ins at the middle and high schools. The LWRT will act as a connector to the surrounding towns and will expand the Northeast Trails System.
The project is supported by both Lynnfield and Wakefield and the design team is being led by WorldTech Engineering, LLC. MassDOT will fund the construction via their Transportation Improvement Program (TIP).
Currently, the design effort focuses around completing a refined hydraulic study of the flood elevations in Reedy Meadow. This updated hydraulic study will ideally allow the length of the boardwalk to be reduced. In parallel, the geo-technical aspects of the site are being additionally investigated as requested by the MassDOT geo-technical section. Due to the environmental restrictions of the meadow, work has been slowly progressing. Once the hydraulic study is complete, the project team will move on to environmental permitting. No further schedule slide is anticipated.
The town is in the process of establishing a web page on the town’s website to allow transparent updates and provide a home for past updates. This webpage will also host general project information. Additionally, it is the goal of the town to schedule a public meeting. In the interim, any and all inquiries can be directed to Town Engineer Patrick McAlpine, via the town’s website, www.town.lynnfield.ma.us.
Anne Marie Tobin can be reached at [email protected].
