Seabrook/Salisbury Trail Work Day – Sat, Aug 3

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Join us on Saturday, August 3 from 9 AM to Noon for a joint Coastal Trails Coalition/Friends of the Seabrook Rail Trail trail work day. This is a great chance to help with the rail trail connector which will link Seabrook & Salisbury to the almost completed extension of the Eastern Marsh Trail.

For directions, questions and to signup please contact Jerry Klima jerryklima@hotmail.com

Newburyport Open Streets Sunday, June 23, 1 to 4 PM

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The Newburyport Parks Department and Newburyport Livable Streets celebrate alternative modes of transportation by bringing you Open Streets. The event invites pedestrian, bicycle and other non-motorized use of the city’s streets.

Celebrated around the world, the Open Streets movement works to improve the quality of life on a local scale by temporarily closing streets to automobile traffic and allowing access for pedestrians, cyclists, and others looking to enjoy being outdoors. Although they share similarities with block parties or street fairs, Open Streets events are fundamentally different in that the focus is on promoting physical activity through “active transportation.”

The event will take place in Newburyport’s South End including Atwood Park, the Brown School and Perkins Park. Be sure to stop by the Coastal Trails table on Purchase Street near the Rail Trail!

For full information visit the Newburyport Livable Streets website.

Coastal Trails Network Projects in Progress

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Phase II of Newburyport’s Clipper City Rail Trail 

The 1.4-mile section of the trail completed in 2018 extends from Water Street at Joppa Park through the South End and passes under High Street at March’s Hill Park. It then continues to Parker Street in Newbury. During construction contaminated soil was discovered under a short section of the trail along the harbor front. The City is working to secure additional funding for the cleanup so the rest of the trail can be completed during 2019 or 2020. When complete the trail will continue from Joppa Park along the river and connect to the central waterfront and boardwalk. In the meantime, there is a short detour along Water Street from Joppa Park to the Newburyport Waste Water Treatment Facility at the bottom of Lime Street.

Amesbury Riverwalk Extension Nearing Completion

The City of Amesbury and MassDOT are extending Amesbury’s Riverwalk into the new Heritage Park along the Powow River.  The extension should be completed in 2019. 

Salisbury Rail Trail Extension to Seabrook, NH to be Constructed in 2019-2020

Construction of a new 2.3-mile rail trail linking Salisbury’s Eastern Marsh Trail to Salisbury’s Ghost Trail, the Salisbury Elementary School and Seabrook, NH, will commence in the spring of 2019 and is scheduled to be completed in 2020.  The trail extension will be part of the East Coast Greenway and will include a pedestrian bridge over US Route 1 in Salisbury.  

Seabrook-Salisbury Trail Connector to be Constructed in 2019-2020

To make a safe connection from the northern end of the Salisbury Rail Trail Extension to Route 286 and Seabrook, NH, CTC and the Town of Salisbury worked with the Friends of the Seabrook Rail Trail to secure recreational trail easements on adjacent land owned by the Seabrook Firemen’s Association.  The 0.4-mile trail connector will be part of the East Coast Greenway and will allow users of the Coastal Trails Network to safely access Route 286, to Seabrook Beach and the rest of the New Hampshire seacoast.  

Trailhead and Stairway to Whittier Bridge and Amesbury-Salisbury Trail Connector under I-95 to be Constructed in 2019-2020

A trailhead and stairway to be built at Main Street in Amesbury will provide convenient access to the Garrison Trail on the I-95 Whittier Bridge.  In addition a trail connection under I-95 will provide a safe way to travel on foot or by bike between Salisbury’s Ghost Trail and Amesbury and will provide an off-road link to the Garrison Trail at Route 110 (Elm Street).  

Northern Section of Border to Boston Trail in Design; Construction Funding Programmed for 2.2-mile Georgetown-Boxford Trail and 3.2-mile Byfield-Georgetown Trail

In addition to the planned construction of the Salisbury Rail Trail Extension described above, work is underway on designing the rest of the northern section of the Border to Boston Trail from Newburyport to Boxford.

The design will include:
•an on-road link from the MBTA commuter rail station in Newburyport to Byfield in Newbury; and
• a new 7.2-mile rail trail from Byfield through Georgetown and Boxford to Topsfield that will be constructed in three segments.

Construction funding has been committed to construct a 2.2-mile segment of the Border to Boston Trail from Georgetown Center into Boxford and to construct a 3.2-mile segment from Byfield to Georgetown Center. Design of a 1.8-mile segment in Boxford is also underway, but construction funding has not yet been programmed for it. When completed, all of these trails will become part of the East Coast Greenway.