September 19, 2003
HEALEY BREAKS GROUND ON ASSABET RAIL TRAIL
New Bike Path Represents $3 Million Investment in Hudson/Marlboro Area
HUDSON – Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey today joined state and local officials at a groundbreaking ceremony for a $3 million project to construct a portion of the Assabet Rail Trail in Hudson and Marlboro.
“This is an exciting day for the families of Marlboro and Hudson. Approximately four miles of new connecting trails will soon be available for biking and jogging,” Healey said. “In the months ahead, Governor Romney and I will continue to look for additional ways to enhance the Commonwealth’s biking and jogging paths. Massachusetts is a beautiful state and we want to ensure that every resident and visitor has a chance to enjoy all that the Bay State has to offer.”
When complete, the project will create four miles of rail trail between Fairbanks Boulevard and Lincoln Street in Marlboro and from the Hudson-Marlboro town line to Route 62 in Hudson. The two sections will be connected by a stretch of existing trail in Marlboro. The Assabet Rail Trail will be 12.5 miles long and run from Marlboro to the South Acton commuter rail station.
“The Romney-Healey Administration has stressed that we must be truly multi-modal in developing our transportation network,” said Transportation Secretary Daniel Grabauskas. “This rail trail is not only a great recreational opportunity – it is also part of a larger system that provides a means of getting from ‘Point A’ to ‘Point B.’”
The rail trail will be 12 feet wide. The project also involves the refurbishment of a former railroad trestle bridge and the rehabilitation of an underpass at the Route 85 connector in Hudson. A wood post-and-rail fence will be installed along some portions of the trail, and improvements at a number of intersections along the trail will be incorporated.
“This project is part of an effort to infuse over $400 million a year into MassHighway construction activity throughout the Commonwealth,” said MassHighway Commissioner John Cogliano. “This amount is exclusive of the Central Artery project, and represents an historic investment in our transportation infrastructure.”
The project was awarded to Steven and Roger Contracting Corporation of Lowell, Massachusetts. It is anticipated that the project will be completed in April 2005.
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