Photo: Jay Willett/WBZ NewsRadio
ANDOVER, Mass. (WBZ NewsRadio) — Andover's first town-funded and accessible paved rail trail officially opened at Haggetts Pond, though not everyone was on board with it.
The trail measures 0.6 miles long and 8 feet wide, connecting to a newly built boardwalk and parking lot. The pavement grants access for road bicyclists, those pushing strollers, and those with mobility disabilities.
“It’s great to it revamped like this and have everyone have accessibility to it now,” one passerby said.
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The opening was not without some pushback, however, as some residents felt that this paving would destroy the natural pathways and vegetation that resided there.
A lawsuit was filed last year by the Friends of Haggetts Pond attempting to prevent the project from going through. This lawsuit was ultimately denied, leading to the project's eventually completion and opening this past Friday.
WBZ NewsRadio’s Jay Willett (@JayWillettWBZ) reports.