State Officials Commit to Design for I-90

Highway will be built at-grade with space for transit, recreation

A section of I-90 slated for reconstruction.

September 29, 2021 (BOSTON, MA) – State officials have announced plans to rebuild a portion of I-90 at-grade after several options were considered. The section of highway is currently on an aging viaduct, and it sits between commuter rail tracks, Soldier’s Field Road, and the Charles River. Conservation Law Foundation (CLF) released the following statement in response.

“After a lengthy debate over the future of this project, today’s announcement is a major step in the right direction,” said Staci Rubin, Vice President of Environmental Justice at CLF. “In choosing this design, officials have the potential to unlock commuter rail, bike, and bus access to communities sorely lacking convenient transit options. As this process moves forward, state officials must commit to minimizing environmental impacts, and CLF will be involved to make sure that happens.”

The area of I-90 known as the “throat” between Boston University and the Charles River currently sits on a crumbling viaduct and needs to be rebuilt. CLF and partners have been pushing for the all-at-grade option, which will allow for expanded transit access and connect neighborhoods to the river that were previously cut off by the viaduct.

CLF experts are available for further comment. 

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