MassDOT to Begin Second Round of Construction Under Southeast Expressway

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced Thursday that construction will commence as part of a second phase of improvements, including parking development, under the Southeast Expressway along I-93 in Boston.

The project, known as Infra-Space 1, will redevelop property under the elevated portion of the Southeast Expressway, between Albany Street and Frontage Road.

“What started as an idea to address a long-standing nuisance has become a creative exercise in re-thinking how we use certain spaces so they add value to a community and can bridge neighborhoods together that were previously separated by highway infrastructure,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack.

A 175-space parking lot, pedestrian paths, community amenity spaces, landscaped areas and storm water management landscape, are all set to be built as part of the project.

Additional improvements to the property will include:

• A pedestrian connection between the South End and South Boston
• A landscaped addition to the Boston Harborwalk along the Fort Point Channel
• Three new community-amenity zones for dog-owners, sports, and a waterfront event venue
• A storm water management landscape that seeks to improve the water quality of the Fort Point Channel
• New and improved crossings on Albany Street, linking together the South End and South Boston with improved way-finding signage; and
• A pedestrian-focused plaza with innovative lighting structures wired to support art and events.

The first phase of the project, which was completed in January 2014, brought about two surface parking lots containing approximately 235 parking spaces. The second phase of the construction project is expected to be completed by July of 2016.

“The conversion of spaces like this into active, useable areas came as a direct result of engaging with members of the community to develop a shared goal for how we could make something that was avoided by neighbors into something that provided a benefit to the neighborhood,” said MassDOT Highway Administrator Thomas J. Tinlin.