Cochituate Rail Trail Progress Discussed During Public Hearing

A public hearing was held on the status of the Cochituate Rail Trail Project on Jan. 11. Project facilitators, town officials and residents gathered in the auditorium of Wilson Middle School for the event. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Highway Division (MassDOT) provided handouts, a presentation and a time for questions and comments to wrap up the evening.
The hearing is part of a multi-stage process to work out details of the trail, which has been planned for nearly a decade. The first town meeting was held in 2008, and multiple follow-up events have taken place. The first edition of the design was submitted in September, 2014, and revised in 2015 and 2016. Though the designs have more stages to go before being finalized, MassDOT has a timeline in place for completion.
The proposed trail is a paved, multi-use path stretching from Route 30 in Framingham to Willow St. in Natick. Its length is approximately 2.4 miles, not including the at-grade and grade separation road crossings. Bridges will be built over Route 30 and Route 9 as part of the construction, providing safe passage for pedestrians.
Project Manager Phil McGrath from the engineering organization BETA Group, Inc. led a presentation showing the trail’s route and describing its features. The 12-foot wide path will be ideal for walking and bicycling. It will feature overlooks for scenic views during transit, and will enable easy access to the Natick Mall and other local businesses, as well as Cochituate State Park.
By the fall of this year, the final design will be submitted. Construction is slated to begin in the fall of 2018 or the spring of 2019, and is estimated to take a year and a half to complete. Most will take place off-road, but the two major bridges that will close roads and require detours will most likely be worked on at night. The total cost of the trail is estimated at $7.8 million, and will be paid for with a combination of state and federal funds.
At the January meeting, several attendees, including residents and members of local organizations, posed comments and questions ranging from concerns about traffic buildup, to trail lighting, to security and privacy needs. All feedback is included in the official hearing transcript, which is now a part of public record through MassDOT (visit www.massdot.state.ma.us for contact information).
To learn more about the Cochituate Rail Trail Project, visit www.crtrail.org.