Incredible $9 Million

Today's S&E reports that the Twin City Rail Trail project has to give up a $500,000 grant because they cannot complete negotiations for aquiring the land from CSX before the mid-June deadline. Imagine CSX places a value of $9 Million on a strip of land 4.2 miles long reportedly ranging in width from 25 to 50 ft. much of which they don't even own.

Gee, maybe we shoulda just used much of that ROW for a north bound Rt 12. I'm sure MassHwy wouldn't have given CSX anyway near that much for the stretch of ROW from say Rt 2 to Battle, Benson or Bemis. And once the ROW is extinguished all those Leominster abutters get their land back. Wouldn't that be kewl.

Though the S&E reports this a loss for the Twin Cities it's clearly a good thing for motorist that use Rt 12.