Following a community meeting on Monday, leaders on the project noted the first phase of construction into Framingham should hopefully begin in 2029.
FRAMINGHAM - Updates have been provided regarding the extension of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail into Framingham, as planners hope to begin construction of the first phase of the path into the community in 2029.
The city purchased a 3.2 mile-long stretch of CSX’s railroad corridor in 2023 to facilitate the extension of the trail, which currently spans about 20 miles between Lowell and Sudbury.
The third major part of the project will connect Sudbury to Framingham. The Bruce Freeman Rail Trail is also planned to connect to existing paths such as the Carol Getchell Trail and Cochituate Rail Trail in Framingham, while providing access to the McAuliffe Library as well as the Hemenway, Dunning, and Walsh schools.
Ed Kross is one of the board directors for the nonprofit organization Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, which boasts about 750 members. He’s been involved in the project since the mid-2010’s; he is excited that Framingham will now be taking more of an “active role” in the project, as he believes the trail can help foster a sense of community.
“If you’ve ever walked a rail trail, you find virtually everyone’s friendly; you get an opportunity to talk with people…The whole idea is to get people out and together, get them out in the air,” Kross said in a conversation with The Frame.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has offered about $7.5 million for the project, while $1.6 million in federal aid were appropriated for the trail’s extension in the 2025 fiscal year. Additionally, close to $850,000 in total were provided by the state in the 2023 and 2025 fiscal years through a pair of MassTrails grants.
A community meeting at the city’s main library branch on Monday, November 10, indicated MassDOT will be constructing the Framingham extension of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail in two phases due to complications with the scope of work; Kross explained developers have to consider factors like road crossing and bridges. The first phase of construction will stretch from the border of Framingham and Sudbury down south to Frost Street off of Edgell Road. Once that’s done, Kross said the trail will stretch across Route 9 and connect to the center of Framingham. In the future, Kross hopes the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail can also connect with the planned Chris Walsh Trail by Farm Pond.
Kross is hopeful that construction on the first phase of Framingham’s portion will start in 2029, as the development of the first leg is expected to take about two years to finish before the second phase can begin—a phase which will require its own design process, according to Kross. The first portion of the Bruce Freeman Rail Train in Framingham will be open to residents once it’s completed, even while the development on the second part is being carried out.
In the meantime, Kross encouragers residents to not utilize the planned path until its finished due to the fact that there is not any emergency evacuation plan currently in place on the trail along with the presence of potential hazards on the property as construction eventually begins.
Kross advised residents that the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail will be providing updates as progress continues. He pointed to fundraising efforts aimed at bolstering parts of the trail that have already been developed as well.
“We are very much trying to make sure that everyone gets to enjoy the trail and make sure it stays safe and enjoyable for everyone,” Kross continued.
To learn more about the Friends of the Bruce Freeman Rail Trail, click here.
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