Bike Path

Update Fall 2022


On August 15, 2022, the Town of Billericain conjunction with the Town's Consultant, VHB, submitted the 75% Design Submittal, along with the 1st Structural Bridge Design Submittal, to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
 This Submittal was the result of extensive engineering and design work based on comments received from MassDOT on the 25% Submittal, comments received from the public at the Public Hearing, and from field investigation at multiple locations.
The Town expects to receive comments from MassDOT in November and anticipates working on the securing right of way and environmental permitting during 2023.  The project is currently slated to bid in 2024.


Background


The Town of Billerica has been working over two decades to advance construction of the Yankee Doodle Bike Path throughout town.  The construction of Phase 1 of the bikeway will connect the Town of Billerica regionally from the center of town, to the Minuteman Bikeway in Bedford, via the Narrow Gauge Bikeway. The completion of this section would provide an alternative mode transportation corridor from Billerica to Arlington, with connections to many other surrounding communities. The addition of this approximately 4 mile bike path to the community will provide a handicapped accessible link between educational, recreational and conservation areas in the southern portion of the Town.  


As part of the design, the Town's Consultant, VHB, has conducted an Alternative Analysis for the bikepath alignment.
 The purpose of this analysis is to evaluate various path alignments and to develop a report for the 
Yankee Doodle Bike Path Committee to use as a tool to select a preferred path alignment. The locations where this analysis was completed were: at the northern end of the project, at a parcel currently owned by the Cabot Corporation, where the abandoned rail bed intersects with Route 3; and at the southern end of the project.  For the purposes of the analysis, the project has been divided into 4 sections.


Section 1 extends from the Billerica High school to Richardson Street.

Section 2 extends from Richardson Street to Middlesex Turnpike.

Section 3 extends from Middlesex Turnpike to just north of Route 3.

Section 4 extends from Route 3 to the Bedford Town line.


In February 2015, the Town submitted the Project Initiation Form (PIF) to MassDOT to request funding through the State and Federal Transportation Improvement Programs.

Proposed Bike Path Route

Yankee Doodle Bike Path
In July 2016, the Town submitted the 25% Design Submittal, 25% Design Appendices, 25% Design Plans and 25% Right of Way Plans to MassDOT.  The path cross section will consist of a 10-foot wide asphalt shared use path (SUP) with two foot shoulders, for a total width of 14 feet. Included in the project is the construction of a 950-foot long boardwalk; a 30-foot high pedestrian ramp structure; drainage crossings; four roadway crossings with RRFB's; advance roadway signage and pavement markings; and a four car parking lot and trailhead at Middlesex Turnpike.

The conceptual cost estimate is approximately $8,270,000.00.

In February 2018, the Town submitted the 25% Design Submittal25% Design Plans25% Corridor Design to Mass DOT.

A design public hearing was held on October 2, 2019 to provide the public with an opportunity to become fully acquainted with the project.  Please see below for a copy of the presentation, handout, and plans presented at the hearing.

Hearing Handout

Plan

Presentation