MALDEN, MA — A planned ribbon cutting this week will mark a milestone in the roughly three-decade effort to construct the multi-use Northern Strand Trail between Everett and Lynn.
The Northern Strand Trail ribbon cutting will take place on Wednesday between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. at the Saugus River Bridge between Central Street and Lincoln Ave/Boston Street in Saugus.
“We invite you all to come out!” organizers said in a recent event announcement. “Let’s show the Commonwealth’s political leadership, our sponsors, and partners, just how much everyone’s support and investment means to us.”
The trail currently runs for roughly 11.5 miles. It begins in Everett before moving through areas near Malden Center. The trail snakes through Revere near the Rumney Marsh Reservation, then winding through Saugus toward Lynn.
The trail largely follows the route of the former Saugus Branch Railroad.
The nonprofit Bike to the Sea has led efforts to build the trail dating back to the 1990s. The trail has won millions in grant support and other funding over the years.
The state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs announced in February, 2020 that crews would soon begin work on remaining unfinished sections of the Northern Strand between Wellington Avenue in Everett and Western Avenue in Lynn.
Bike to the Sea has since said that the state funded 2020 project is complete, with all trail areas between Everett and Lynn now fully paved. Road crossings also include new safety features along the main route, according to Bike to the Sea.
As state officials and community trail supporters celebrate, town leaders in Everett have moved forward with work to link the main trail section to an envisioned southern connection on the Mystic River.
In Lynn, a state grant earlier this year marked just over $263,000 for planned separated bike lanes along local roads to connect the Northern Strand Trail to beaches in Lynn and Nahant. The city of Lynn is matching that grant with a $65,780 contribution, according to state records.
StreetsBlog in 2021 reported that work to extend the Northern Strand Trail through Lynn was expected to begin in 2023.
See updated Northern Strand Trail maps available online here.
