A public informational meeting has been scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday at the Firehouse Center for the Arts regarding phase 2 of the Clipper City Rail Trail and Harborwalk project. The preliminary alignment of the trail has been established, and the public is invited to participate in the meeting with the city’s senior project manager and the landscape architect consultant working on the project. During phase 2, the trail will be extended about 1.5 miles along the Merrimack River, through the South End residential neighborhood, and curving through acres of woodlands into the town of Newbury. The project will include enhancements such as sculpture, murals, interpretive panels, and customized signs. The Merrimack Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization recommends the project be advertised for construction in 2015, though state transportation officials have indicated it could begin sooner if design and permitting can be completed in a timely fashion. For more information, contact Geordie Vining, senior project manager, at 978-465-4400.