Beginning in October, two one-mile sections of the Cape Cod Rail Trail
will be closed for reconstruction. The reconstruction, to be completed
by the spring of 2005, involves various projects such as recycling
bituminous pavement, widening and re-paving the trail, removing roots
and installing root barriers, clearing brush and selectively trimming
trees, restoring eroded embankments, cleaning drainage pipes, improving
intersections, and erecting fencing.
[
Click here for map of closures and detours.]
To undertake construction, the trail must be closed in the following two locations:
In Brewster, the work requires the trail to be closed from Millstone Road to Mitchell Lane, in the vicinity of Nickerson State Park. Please note that there is no recommended on-road bicycle detour around the construction site. Route 6A is unsuitable for public trail use, so rail trail users will have to turn around and return the way they came as there is no on-road detour being provided.
In Orleans and Eastham an on-road bicycle detour will be implemented and signs installed directing bikers around the areas under construction from Boat Meadow River Creek to Governor Prence Road. Between Eastham and Orleans, the detour will run from Governor Prence Road to Bridge Road to Rock Harbor Road, where it rejoins the trail via the Route 6 bicycle path bridge. Bicyclists will reverse that route when traveling from Orleans to Eastham. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Towns are not responsible for personal safety and in no manner warrant the safety of the roads on this detour. The intent of the detour is to provide an on-road route for experienced cyclists connecting open sections of the trail.
In August, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will post signs at rail trail parking lots providing advance notice of the trail closure in the fall. Additionally, DCR is submitting this notice to local bike shops, chambers of commerce, bike committees, town offices, etc., and asks that you share this information with other off-Cape organizations that may be unaware of the trail rehabilitation plan. On the other side of this sheet you will find a map depicting the trail sections in question in Brewster and Eastham as well as the detour in Orleans and Eastham. DCR appreciates your patience and cooperation as we work to improve the Cape Cod Rail Trail.
DCR is the newly-unified agency responsible for providing the public with safe, clean, accessible, and affordable parks and recreation experiences, and for protecting the Commonwealth's natural, historical, and cultural resources for future generations. DCR, which manages 449,000 acres of land in Massachusetts, owns and operates the Cape Cod Rail Trail, one of the first rail trails built in the United States in 1979. DCR is overseeing this rehabilitation project which represents a significant investment in the trail's future and in the safety and enjoyment of all that use it. DCR Project Contact: Danny O'Brien (508-727-9681, ext. 120).