Track removal began at the Yarmouth end of the rail trail expansion, off Station Avenue, and is moving toward the Route 134 parking lot in Dennis, where the existing bike and pedestrian trail ends.

SOUTH YARMOUTH — The recent removal of rusty rail tracks behind his home on Beacon Street, as they were dragged out whole by heavy equipment after the wooden ties were removed, was “like watching two large snakes going by all the houses,” according to Barry Clayman.

The activity marked the beginning of the long-awaited Cape Cod Rail Trail extension through Dennis and Yarmouth.

Track removal began at the Yarmouth end of the rail trail expansion, off Station Avenue, and is moving toward the Route 134 parking lot in Dennis, where the existing bike and pedestrian trail ends.

The old rail is being salvaged for reuse as repair material by the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad.

It’s about time the project got underway, said Dennis Town Administrator Richard White.

“It’s been a 20-year effort by the town,” he said.

White expects the work to move quickly now that it’s begun.

“It’s a fairly straightforward construct,” he said. “There’s not a lot of traffic along an abandoned track.”

Phase I of the project includes construction of two bridges: one over Station Avenue in South Yarmouth and one over Route 134 in South Dennis, as well as construction of a parking lot at Station Avenue and the refurbishment and expansion of an existing lot on Route 134. The initial phase also includes construction of most of the 3.7-mile bike path expansion.

“Currently the contractor is performing tree clearing operations, installing temporary erosion controls and removing the old rail,” said Michael Verseckes, spokesman for the state Department of Transportation, the agency in charge of rail trail construction. “Phase 2 is still in design and includes the bridge over the Bass River, which will connect the Dennis and Yarmouth section of the path.”

The 160-foot-long bridge will include a scenic overlook of the river.

The rail project has been an ongoing conversation in the two towns for several years now, but not everyone was aware construction — or at this point, deconstruction — along the rail corridor was underway.

“The whole area is closed,” said White, including the parking lot on Route 134 where the bike trail now ends. It was closed for safety reasons because trees were cleared.

“Some people were unaware of it and brought their dogs and found the area closed,” he said, adding that the inconvenience is only temporary. “Ultimately, this project will benefit everyone.”

The work is being done by Lawrence Lynch Corp., the Falmouth-based company awarded the $7.3 million bid.

Yarmouth Assistant Town Administrator Peter Johnson-Staub called the rail trail expansion “a terrific amenity for residents and visitors alike.”

The project came about largely because of the tenacity of Yarmouth’s former Public Works director, George Allaire, who died in April 2014, Johnson-Staub said. Town Planner Kathy Williams “picked up the mantle,” he said.

Beacon Street residents along the extension have expressed security concerns and were disappointed when a promised 8-foot stockade fence, on the plans since 2009, was replaced with the more commonly used 42-inch, split-rail model.

Residents and Yarmouth selectmen met several months ago with representatives of the Department of Transportation and Department of Conservation and Recreation, the agency that will oversee the rail trail once it is built. State officials offered the compromise of putting up a screen of bushes along the split-rail fence and promised to continue working with the neighborhood.

The state also had agreed to shift the bike trail northward, off the rail bed behind Beacon Street, to put more distance between the trail and the residential properties.

But Beacon Street residents have now changed their minds, according to Johnson-Staub, since the plan required the removal of several trees.

“Over half the abutters came to an on-site meeting,” Johnson-Staub said. Returning the location of the bike trail to the rail bed “was the clear consensus.”

“They also opted out of the split-rail fence since it would require more tree clearing,” the assistant town administrator said. “In lieu of the fence, they will use more plantings.”

Verseckes said his agency, the Department of Conservation and Recreation and local officials are working on getting the requested plan changes along Beacon Street.

Yarmouth Deputy Police Chief Steven Xiarhos said the project will cause little disruption to traffic since it’s all off-road. The deputy chief is looking forward to riding the trail once it’s complete in 2017.

“It’s a very special project with lots of benefits,” he said. “It’s good exercise and it’s safe and healthy.”

— Follow Christine Legere on Twitter: @ChrisLegereCCT.