A map showing the envisioned trail from Fryeburg to the ocean. The blue blocks along the red line are what parts of the trail are completed, while the red line is the completed proposed section. Contributed / Mountain Division Alliance
The Westbrook-Windham rail trail project, part of a planned 50-mile trail along unused railroad lines from Fryeburg to Portland, is $450,000 closer to completion.
The project received funding from the Maine Department of Transportation last week, according to Rachel Curran Apse, director of the Presumpscot River Land Trust, which has been working on the project with about 17 other groups, ranging from nonprofits to local governments.
The money will be used to finish engineering and design work needed to create a five-mile trail along unused railroad beds owned by the state. It will start near from near the Westbrook Community Center on Bridge Street and connect with the existing rail trail in Windham near Chute Road near the Gorham town line. The existing path connects to Gorham and Sebago Lake.
When the Westbrook-Windham section is completed, a walker or cyclist could start in Westbrook and end at Sebago Lake.
The Westbrook-Windham trail aligns with the Sebago to the Sea Trail plan, overseen by the Presumpscot Land Trust, while also factoring into the separate but related Mountain Division Trail Alliance’s plan for a 50-mile trail between Fryeburg and Portland.
While the Westbrook project is five to 10 years out from expected completion, being able to finish the design work is a big step as it is expected to leave the project “shovel ready,” Curran Apse said.
“What is exciting about this rail-trail project is it finishes up the Sebago trail and extends the Mountain Division Trail. We’ve worked with a broad coalition with folks to keep this project moving forward,” she said.
The project has been in the works for nearly three decades, according to Windham Parks and Recreation Director Linda Brooks, starting with the Mountain Division Trail Alliance’s early plans for the whole trail, followed by the push for the Sebago to the Sea Trail.
The Westbrook portion was first studied and discussed in-depth back in 2011. Initial studies were conducted, but a lack of funding put planning on hold.
“Regionally we are getting to a bigger picture we thought up in the ’90s,” Brooks said. “It has been really great to see these communities work together over the years.”
Westbrook’s trail would be much like Gorham’s, which is highly accessible to all, including those using wheelchairs, Curran Apse said.
The cost of the overall project wasn’t available, but discussions in 2011 organizers estimated a $4 million price tag, to be paid for through federal grants.
Mountain Division Alliance member Paul Drinan, a Westbrook resident and chairperson of the city’s Conservation Commission, said rail trails are safe and healthy.
“It totally separates you from cars and ends up being healthier that way, and they can be used by thousands of people from all over,” Drinan said. “These make sense because the rail corridors are long and flat, no hills or curves.”
While the vision for a trail from Fryeburg to the sea may far down the road, Drinan said progress with this stretch of the trail will have a big impact on local recreation.
“We are seeing so many more people use trails, and this really expands on that. It’s also a way for people to get from one place to another,” Drinan said.
Westbrook Economic Development Director Dan Stevenson agrees and also sees a financial incentive.
The trail in Westbrook would bring bicyclists from Windham into Westbrook who could patronize local businesses, for example. He also estimates property values around the trial would increase.
“Another thing is that especially more so with the younger population, they really want to be in communities with multiple modes of transportation, and they want to use trail systems,” Stevenson said.
According to Curran Apse, once the Westbrook design work is done, they will be ready to apply for federal grants to fund the project. There is currently no expected finish date for the work that was just funded.
“It’s really exciting to see this all come together, but it couldn’t happen without the broad group of folks who have worked on this,” she said.
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