SCARBOROUGH — The Eastern Trail Alliance this week celebrates the 10-year anniversary of the groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off construction of the off-road section that runs through the Scarborough Marsh.

On May 19, 2004, work began on the Scarborough Marsh section of the Eastern Trail under the direction of the 12-town Eastern Trail Management District, in partnership with many organizations including the Town of Scarborough.

“Could anyone with their groundbreaking shovels in hand have imagined what would be accomplished in the following 10 years?” said John Andrews, president emeritus of the ETA, and one of its founders. “Many thanks to the thousands who believed in and supported the Eastern Trail vision, and have worked so hard to continue building the first 21 miles of our off-road trail.”

Andrews was joined for an informal ceremony on Monday by fellow ETA founder and former trustee Tom Daley, who received a plaque for his and his wife Anita’s many years of service to the ETA. They were also joined by ETA Vice President and Secretary Bob LaNigra, ETA Vice President Bob Bowker, and Bruce Gullifer, Scarborough Community Services director and an ETMD founder, who facilitated the 2004 project.

When completed, the Eastern Trail will connect the Piscataqua River in Kittery with Bug Light on Casco Bay in South Portland with a 65-mile, mostly off-road greenway. The Eastern Trail follows the route of the historic Eastern Railroad, the first rail line connecting Boston and the Portland area. It extends through 12 communities in York and Cumberland counties. The Eastern Trail is the southern Maine portion of the 2,900-mile East Coast Greenway, which stretches from Key West, Fla. to Calais.