The reboot of the long-awaited MassDOT project to remove the McCarthy Overpass from McGrath Highway and reconstruct the road as a multimodal boulevard is finally happening! The project will replace the overpass with an at-grade urban boulevard approximately 1.5 miles long, extending from Broadway to Rufo Road (in Cambridge). The boulevard will include protected new pedestrian and bicycle facilities and a…
MassDOT is slated to resurface McGrath Highway soon and remove one lane of traffic in each direction as a road diet to repurpose the lanes as buffered bike lanes. In parallel, MassDOT is also advancing the McGrath Boulevard project to 25% design. Recap: The McGrath Boulevard project will remove the McCarthy Overpass section of McGrath Highway and replace it with a…
JOIN:Congresswoman Ayanna PressleyState Reps Christine Barber, Mike ConnollyMayor Joe CurtatoneCity Councillors Matt McLaughlin (Ward 1), Jesse Clingan (Ward 4)...to demand that MassDOT prioritize the safety of people over the speed of cars. Tell MassDOT to: Accelerate McGrath/Mystic Ave. improvementsCreate Blakeley Ave. crosswalk NOWEnact traffic calming measures nowErect sound barriers along Rte. I-93 to reduce noise pollution RALLY 6pmMeet at the corner…
At a public meeting in late May, the State shared the latest thinking on bringing down the McGrath Highway overpass and replacing it with something more friendly. Download the presentation to see details on current construction, the traffic study, current planning on ped, bike, and transit modes, and much more. Also check out the official MassDOT project website and a quick project…
A Somerville Journal guest column…
It seems like the same old story for our city. The state continues delaying the long-promised Green Line but pushes unwanted repair of the McCarthy overpass ahead of completing the planning study to remove the overpass despite strong opposition from community. We still have one small hope of removing this overpass – a public hearing is scheduled for next Thursday.
Sent to the Board of Directors of MassDOT
As residents of Somerville advocating for good transportation for our city and the region, we are writing to express our dismay over the rush to repair the McCarthy Overpass on the McGrath Highway. It was with frustration and incredulity that we just recently heard of the decision by MassDOT to rush to repair the Overpass despite the strong objections of residents of Somerville and Cambridge. The fact that there was no public involvement with the community with Mass DOT about the impact of the repairs on travel in the area is completely unacceptable especially when compared to the significant community engagement that took place when the same roadway was closed for repairs at the Museum of Science and for the traffic restrictions due to repairs on the Longfellow Bridge.
Boston Globe: "A hope of renewal for Somerville" "At best, the old elevated McGrath highway will hem in any economic activity following the Green Line extension, creating a barrier that impedes new business from spreading to a section of town badly in need of it. At worst, by severing neighborhoods and stifling physical connections, the McGrath could severely dampen the potential…