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The Allston Multimodal Project will replace the Allston Viaduct which carries the turnpike (I-90) from the Allston Interchange to the Commonwealth Avenue bridge. (Source: MassDOT)
The Healey-Driscoll administration yesterday announced that the state has won $335.4 million in federal grant funding for a major “Reconnecting Communities” project around the Massachusetts Turnpike near the Charles River in Boston.
The Allston Multimodal Project will replace the Allston Viaduct, which carries the turnpike (I-90) from the Allston Interchange to the Commonwealth Avenue bridge, and will make transportation infrastructure improvements to nearby roads and the railroad corridor.
The project, which will improve access to expanded waterfront parks and open space in an Environmental Justice community, includes construction of an MBTA West Station along the Worcester Commuter Rail line, a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge, and four acres of new parkland.
Last September, the administration applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s “Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Grant Program,” which provides funding to remove or mitigate highways and other transportation infrastructure that create barriers for community connectivity. The federal program is funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The state coordinated closely with the city of Boston, Harvard University and Boston University, among other local partners.
Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said the project “will have widespread benefits in the decades ahead, improving access to the Charles River, between Boston and points west, and for everyone taking trips in the Allston area.” Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said the benefits include new opportunities for housing and jobs, as well as “much-needed fixes for crumbling infrastructure.”
The Healey-Driscoll administration reports that it has secured nearly $3 billion in federal funding grants since taking office in January 2023, and has $2 billion in pending grant requests.
Other federal funding awards for transportation projects include $108 million for a west-east rail project; $375 million for the Sagamore Bridge over the Cape Cod Canal; $249.4 million for the MBTA in discretionary grants; and $116 million for the MBTA’s purchase of battery-electric buses.
Other Reconnecting Communities grants include:
• $452,000 for Haverhill, Removing the Scars of Urban Renewal
• $561,000 for Lynn, Riverworks Reimagined
• $1.2 million for Everett, Uniting Neighborhoods and Transit Opportunities
• $2.4 million for Cambridge, Commuter Rail pedestrian crossing
• $2.5 million for Boston, Chelsea Creek Waterfront
The administration awaits federal review of other transportation grant applications, including $1.06 billion through the Bridge Investment Program’s Large Bridge Project Program for replacement of the Sagamore Bridge.
The State Transportation Improvement Program website has more information about the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s process for allocating federal and state funding.
The administration last year established the Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office to lead an inter-agency strategy for the Commonwealth to better compete for historic levels of federal funding available from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and more. The office is responsible for tracking federal opportunities, facilitating the submission of applications for federal funding, and advocating on behalf of Massachusetts projects.