Construction of the Minuteman Bikeway extension from Depot Park to the Concord town line could begin as soon as the spring of 2022, Department of Public Works Director David Manugian said this week.
The 1.8-mile project was scheduled for 2023 on MassDOT’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). However, recent funding fluctuations for some larger, more costly projects could accelerate the Bedford bikeway improvements, he said.
Plans call for betterments to begin at the junction of Railroad Avenue and South Road, with the addition of a 10-foot-wide separated shared-use path along the south side of Railroad. This is necessitated by the sale of the original railroad right-of-way to private interests decades ago.
Railroad Avenue curves to the right toward the John Glenn Middle School complex, and the bikeway will rejoin the original right-of-way, accessing from that bend. The bikeway will continue to the town line, crossing Hartwell Road and negotiating Concord Road by a tunnel.
Funding for temporary and permanent easements that will facilitate the realization of the bikeway are included in the capital article on the May 15 Annual Town Meeting warrant.
Property owners—about 30 in all—have been notified that they will be hearing from the town’s consultants during the summer with appraisal information, said Jeanette Rebecchi, Department of Public Works transportation program manager.
The appraisals will be followed by direct discussions with abutters in the fall and winter.
According to a publication by the Town of Concord, originally the trail was right-of-way of the Middlesex Central Railroad beginning in 1873. In 1879 the railroad was extended west to a point near the former Concord Reformatory, and many still refer to the route as the Reformatory Branch.
The right-of-way was purchased by Concord and Bedford after the branch was abandoned by the Boston & Maine Railroad in 1962.
Mike Rosenberg can be reached at [email protected], or 781-983-1763
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