Dover Rail Trail gets $260,000 state grant

DOVER, The Town of Dover announced Oct. 28 that it has received a $260,000 state grant to complete the final design phase of the Dover Rail Trail project.

The grant, awarded by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation & Recreation through the MassTrails Grants Program, will fund design work expected to be finished by summer 2027.

The project would convert an existing railroad corridor into a 3.5-mile multi-use path running from the Medfield town line to the Needham town line.

An earlier phase of the design work was funded by a separate $184,760 state grant. To close out that phase, the town plans to hold a meeting to update residents on progress so far and gather additional public input.

Design work is being carried out by the engineering firm TEC Inc., covering preliminary trail alignment, aerial surveying, drainage assessments, traffic engineering and structural evaluations of two existing bridges along the corridor.

A preliminary estimate puts construction costs at $4.16 million, not including the replacement of the Charles River Bridge, plus 15 percent in construction contingencies.

Town Administrator Michael Blanchard said in a statement, "This latest grant allows us to continue moving the Dover Rail Trail project forward and brings us closer to completing the design." He added that the town looks forward to "sharing our progress, gathering additional input from residents and developing a clearer understanding of the project's scope, costs and next steps."

Parks and Recreation Director Mark Ghiloni said in a statement, "Thanks to our latest MassTrails Grant, we look forward to completing our design work on this project and developing a clearer picture of what a final product will look like." He said the town will also seek feedback from residents as the project moves into its next phase.

Once the design is completed, it will be brought to a future Town Meeting for a town vote.

Source: Town of Dover announcement, October 28, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.