The ambitious overhaul of the Allston section of the Massachusetts Turnpike just received a massive federal boost, with the government committing $335 million to the project, officials announced yesterday. Dubbed the "Allston Multimodal Project," it aims to transform the transportation landscape in Boston by straightening out the Mass Pike along the Charles River, adding a new MBTA station, and improving bridges and roads. Governor Maura Healey hailed the infusion of funds as "another major win for Massachusetts." She described the project as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve transportation infrastructure in the Allston community," as stated in NBC Boston.
While the total cost of the project is projected to soar to nearly $2 billion, the federal funds are expected to make a significant dent in expenses. The improvements include not just the straightening of the highway but also the construction of new parks, a pedestrian bridge, and the MBTA West Station. Senator Elizabeth Warren emphasized the transformative impact of this project for the city, intending to drastically to connect the communities with better public transit and bike lanes, as she outlined in a statement obtained by CBS News Boston. She highlighted that the project would notably benefit disadvantaged families, provide thousands of new jobs, and open public spaces where children can play outside.
The project has been years in the making, with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) diligently working on the plan and now finally moving forward with federal environmental permitting. The ambitious construction endeavor is slated to take 6 to 10 years to complete once it gets underway. This massive undertaking doesn't only aim to revamp the area's infrastructure but also unlocks new land for development, which officials believe could bring unprecedented development opportunities and critical environmental benefits to the region, as conveyed by A Better City CEO Kate Dineen in a statement to NBC Boston.
The revamped stretch of highway and surrounding infrastructure will encompass eight lanes of the Pike, four lanes of Soldiers Field Road, four rail tracks, and a pedestrian walkway, tightly squeezed onto land provided by Boston University, between the university and the Charles River. With these sweeping changes, officials believe it will not just ease current transportation woes but also right some of the transportation policy wrongs of the past. The expectation is that once completed, this overhaul will not just change the face of Allston but also reconnect communities historically severed from Boston's downtown and the Charles River, which is a sentiment echoed by Senator Ed Markey, according to NBC Boston.
