New Bruce Freeman Rail Trail Section Open, Minus Planned Ceremony

CONCORD, MA — A key piece of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is now open — unofficially for now — completing an unbroken section of the trail from Lowell to Concord near the Sudbury line.

The new bridge spanning Route 2 in Concord connects two completed sections of trail, paving way for future sections to open in Sudbury and Framingham. When complete, the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will span 25 miles along a former rail corridor from Lowell to Route 9 in Framingham. Construction got underway on the Lowell end in 2009.

MassDOT had planned on hosting a grand opening ceremony for the Route 2 overpass on Friday, but canceled the event, according to the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail group.

"Nonetheless, Phase 2B is officially open so use and enjoy the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail from Crosspoint in Lowell to Powder Mill Road in Concord," the group said Monday.

The next few milestones to complete the trail include a short section in Concord to the Sudbury border, and then a section from Frost Farm in Sudbury to Route 20. MassDOT hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Sudbury section in May, and it could open within two years.

After that section is complete, a short section from Route 20 in Sudbury to Framingham will get underway. Framingham, meanwhile, has brokered a deal to buy the last leg of the former rail corridor to someday complete its section of the trail.