What to know about Portland’s Union Branch multiuse pathway

 The former Union Branch rail line between Interstate 295 and Deering Oaks park in Portland is being converted into a multiuse path along with a running/walking path between the old rails. The city is asking people to stay off the path until construction is complete in September. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer) Over the last several weeks, daily commuters along Interstate 295 in Portland have had a front-row seat to the construction of a new multiuse trail along the former Union Branch rail line between Forest Avenue and Hadlock Field. Crews began clearing vegetation and smoothing out the earth this spring, but now that a rough path is visible, city officials are urging residents to wait until construction is complete in a few months before testing it out. “While we absolutely love the enthusiasm and can’t wait to share it with you, the Union Branch Path project is still an active construction site,” city staff said in a social media post. “Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we put the finishing touches on this amazing community space.” The new trail, considered the first phase of a plan to connect the Bayside and Parkside neighborhoods to Libbytown and the Portland Transportation Center, will have two parallel sections. One is a 12-foot-wide paved pathway, while the other is a stone dust jogging (or cross-country skiing) path installed within the old rail line. The section underway now begins at Forest Avenue and State Street and follows the rail line between the highway and Deering Oaks, Fitzpatrick Stadium and Hadlock Field. Jon Kachmar, executive director of Portland Trails, said Tuesday that the small section will be a critical link in connecting several other trail systems that either already exist or are in the works. Advertisement “We’re excited about it. This is certainly a big piece of the overall puzzle,” he said. If ultimately connected to the Portland Transportation Center, it could provide a connection to the [Mountain Division trail](https://www.pressherald.com/2021/05/23/advocates-want-to-expand-mountain-division-trail-to-connect-with-stretch-from-fryeburg-to-portland/) that runs to Fryeburg. If connected to the Bayside Trail, it could reach the planned [Casco Bay Trail](https://www.pressherald.com/2025/05/27/portland-to-auburn-railway-trail-project-advances-in-legislature/), a proposed 72-mile rail trail loop connecting Portland, Lewiston-Auburn, Brunswick and Freeport. Kachmar said completing the Bayside Trail connection will include the tricky task of crossing Forest Avenue and incorporating the trail into whatever development [eventually comes at the city’s Midtown parcels](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/03/portland-councilors-still-at-odds-over-how-to-market-midtown-parcels/) along Somerset Street. Some planning for a second phase — from Hadlock Field to Thompson’s Point — has already occurred, but was hampered by the loss of millions in federal funding for a planned redesign of the Libbytown area. The city is again pursuing funds for the project that would convert Congress Street and Park Avenue west of St. John Street to two-way traffic and install a roundabout at the intersection of Congress Street and Park Avenue. [](https://w2pcms.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/06/43665201_20260623_union-branch_3.jpg) The former Union Branch rail line between Interstate 295 and Deering Oaks in Portland is being converted into a multiuse path along with a running/walking path between the old rails. Officials have said good progress has been made on the project but ask that people stay off the path until construction is complete in September. (Gregory Rec/Staff Photographer) Related [Two popular trail networks in Portland will soon be connected](https://www.pressherald.com/2026/03/20/two-popular-trail-networks-in-portland-will-soon-be-connected/) According to city spokesperson Jessica Grondin, the preferred route was selected last year and would rely on infrastructure that would be built as part of the Libbytown redesign. City staff said the two projects, once complete, will “close important gaps in a planned continuous series of off-street or physically separated pathways/bikeways encircling the Portland peninsula.” Phase 1 of the Union Branch project cost $2.85 million and was funded through a mix of state and city funding. Construction is slated to be complete in September. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [portland maine](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/portland-maine/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) [Andrew RiceStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice) Andrew Rice is a staff writer at the Press Herald covering the city of Portland. He's been working in journalism since 2012, joining the Sun Journal in 2017, then the Press Herald in 2026. He lives in. [More by Andrew Rice](https://www.pressherald.com/author/andrew-rice)