ANDOVER — The town celebrated the official opening of the Haggetts Pond Rail Trail with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at its trailhead on Friday.
“This project is a reminder of why so many of us chose public service or volunteered countless hours in support of this community,” Town Manager Andrew Flanagan told the crowd. “This project is about access and it is about opportunity.”
The trail is the first fully accessible, town-sponsored trail in Andover. The newly paved trail spans 0.6 miles to the pond’s outlook where a new boardwalk was constructed. There is also an accessible parking lot at the trailhead.
The rail trail was a long-awaited project to improve accessibility to the beloved location and make it welcoming to all users.
Flanagan said the rail trail is the biggest step the town has taken to ensure access to places like Haggetts Pond isn’t limited by mobile abilities.
The project was a collaboration of several town departments. It was funded with American Rescue Plan money and a $500,000 MassTrails Grant Program.