Bridges, Bicycles, and Rail Trails, oh my!

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors. Link to all Marjorie’s books.

Walkers, bicyclists and other non-motorized travelers can now go from Acton to Concord, MA on the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail. The trail stretches from Lowell, MA in the north to Framingham inthe south. Progress on developing the Sudbury/Framingham sections is ongoing. An impressive bridge connecting the two sections now stretches across Rt. 2 in Acton, near the Concord rotary, and continues south into Concord.

Construction of the bridge has been a two-year project. We stopped to get a photo of its progress in 2021. The bridge abutments were in place but there was still a long way to go.

The last time we were in this area the structure was nearly complete but not yet open to the public. Construction equipment was still in place and barriers discouraged visitors from using the bridge. On this most recent visit the bridge was open and it was exciting to finally ride on it!

We began our ride at Nara Park in Acton, which has a large parking area for both trail users and park visitors. We headed south from there in the direction of the Rt. 2 bridge.

We were soon pedaling across Rt. 2. The bridge offers a great view of the surrounding countryside, while avoiding the fast-moving traffic. What fun to continue on the trail that had required packing up our bikes and driving to the other side of the road.

South of the bridge is an unfinished small park overlooking Warner’s Pond. The gravel paths are good for walking but are narrower than you might wish if on a bicycle.

The Assabet River crosses under the path just north of West Concord Center where various pieces of railroad infrastructure have been incorporated into the trail itself.

Steel rails were built into a portion of the path at the edge of the center. The present West Concord commuter rail station has active railroad tracks and a busy schedule of trips into and back out of Boston. Continued passage along the Bruce Freeman Trail requires threading the needle through the train station. Bicyclists are warned to walk their bikes through this section of narrow walkway. You will discover the wisdom of this information when you encounter blind corners that lead travelers around the original train station building.

Additional signaling equipment and other reminders of the railroad history in this area remain alongside the path. Note the stone bridge abutments that were originally built to support the rails that carried railroad cars across small streams on the way to market.  

Once headed south past the West Concord train station the path is clear and in great shape for the next section. The trail has additional bridges that carry visitors over the Assabet River and next to extended areas of wetlands.

We came to what presently is the end of the trail, helpfully labeled, “End.” Beyond the overpass and gate, the trail was cleared of brush and some work had been done on the trail surface. We kept pedaling along to investigate what turned out to be some very rough ground. Construction equipment had done a first pass through the area and silt socks have been installed to prevent erosion, but many tree roots remain. Where the preliminary construction stopped we did too. The rest of the way ahead of us was rougher than we wanted to take on.

Once we got back to our starting point curiosity set in. Where was all the construction equipment? Projects of this sort require a staging area where heavy equipment can be deployed. After poking about, we got to Rt. 117 in Sudbury and spotted the distinctive straight path through the woodland that helped us identify where the trail that is under construction will be located. Next to this section is a large clearing with substantial-sized construction equipment ready to continue the work. The preliminary work has begun on both sides of Rt. 117 and we learned that the project will add another 4.4 miles of trail to the Bruce Freeman rail trail.

Projects of this scale take time, but the funding is in place, the project has begun in earnest and we will keep our eyes open for progress to come. Happy trails!

Marjorie

Marjorie Turner Hollman is a writer who loves the outdoors, and is the author of Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, More Easy Walks in Massachusetts, 2nd edition, Easy Walks and Paddles in the Ten Mile River Watershed, Easy Walks South of Boston and Finding Easy Walks Wherever You Are. Her memoir, the backstory of Easy Walks, is My Liturgy of Easy Walks: Reclaiming hope in a world turned upside down.