History
The Mountain Division Trail follows the original Portland and Ogdensburg Railway, built to connect Portland Maine with the St. Lawrence Seaway in Ogdensburg, N.Y. with another spur ending in Montreal. The railway was purchased by Maine Central Railroad, renamed The Mountain Division Line and later abandoned by Guilford Transportation in 1994.
That same year, Alix Hopkins, director of Portland Trails, founded the Mountain Division Alliance, a group dedicated to preserving the railroad right of way. In 1997 fifty miles of the line, from Windham to the New Hampshire border in Fryeburg were purchased by Maine DOT; thus preserving the row for recreational and future rail use.
In June of 2004, the first 4.7mile section of the Mountain Division Rail with Trail opened from Gambo Road in Windham to Johnson Field in Standish. At the same time, Alix Hopkins stepped down as Mountain Division Alliance Chair and Dave Kinsman of Fryeburg accepted the position of MDA Chair.
In 2005, a loop trail was constructed on a new bike/pedestrian bridge over the Presumpscott River connecting Windham and Gorham. From the Gorham side, the loop trail passes through Shaw Park and over a connector trail back to the MDT.
In 2005, the Mountain Division Alliance became a 501c3 non-profit corporation, allowing people to make tax-deductible donations to the trail.
In 2005 a new paved section of trail opened in Portland connecting Commercial and Danforth Sts to Mercy Hospital and the Transportation Center and the Amtrak Downeaster.
In 2006 the 4.1 Fryeburg section received 1 million dollars in funding. This section will begin at the new Maine Visitor Center on Rt 302 in Fryeburg and run to the Airport Rd. on Rt 113 at the Brownfield town line. Construction on this section is expected to start in the spring of 2010.
In 2007 MaineDOT purchased another 5-mile section of rail corridor from Rt 202 in South Windham to the Sappi Mill spur near Brown St Westbrook. Because the tracks had been removed prior to the sale, the trail is open until rails are restored. It is unimproved and recommended for Mt Bikes.
In 2008 a 1-mile paved section was opened from Rt 202 in South Windham to Gambo Rd.
In 2009 the previously completed gravel section from Gambo Rd to the Otter Ponds in Standish was paved. Also paved was the Shaw Park Connector Loop. The result is almost 6 miles of paved bike/ped trail.
The most important goal now is to connect the trail into Portland. To accomplish this, the Mountain Division Alliance is working closely with Portland Trails and the Sebago to the Sea Coalition, a new organization that is working on a walking trail from Sebago Lake to the ocean. When this connection is made the Mountain Division Trail should become the most widely used trail in Maine and one of the most popular in New England.
The eventual goal is to complete all the sections 52 miles from Portland to the New Hampshire border in Fryeburg. This will connect 9 towns in a linear park. It will provide recreational opportunities and a means of alterative transportation by allowing bike commuting into the Portland area from towns along the rail line. It will connect communities and provide safe routes to schools for students.
The eventual economic benefits are hard to predict, but similar bike/ped trails in other states bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and millions of dollars into local economies.
