Plans for the McGrath Boulevard project were recently discussed during a virtual design public hearing. — Photo by Bobbie Toner

By The Times Staff

The long-awaited and much-anticipated McGrath Boulevard project that aims to transform Route 28 from an elevated highway to a ground-level boulevard is expected to move forward as planned after a virtual design public hearing convened on December 9.

The McGrath Boulevard project spans a vital corridor linking Cambridge and Somerville. The project area extends along the corridor from Broadway to Third Street in Cambridge.

“After significant public outreach, surveys, collaboration, careful planning, design development, environmental review, and utility investigations, the project has now advanced to the 25 percent design level,” said Christopher Cameron, project manager at the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

The boulevard concept began with MassDOT’s determination that the McCarthy Overpass needed replacement back in 2011, according to Cameron.

Cameron says the McCarthy Viaduct Overpass is “structurally deficient and divides neighborhoods.” He added that the McGrath Highway is “oversized for today’s travel patterns and lacks safe and accessible facilities for people walking and biking.”

There were 263 crashes between 2017-2021, with 72 injury crashes and 21 bicycle and pedestrian crashes, according to MassDOT.

The project is driven by five goals. These include enhancing safety to support Vision Zero objectives, reconnecting neighborhoods, supporting sustainable transportation, delivering resilient infrastructure to deal with climate change, and an accessible design that removes barriers.

Key design elements include dedicated bus stop areas, protected intersections for pedestrians and bicyclists, increased green space, and separated bike lanes.

“Together these elements create a more complete street that balances mobility with livability,” said Cameron.

The elevated overpass will be transformed into a street-level boulevard, with the removal of 1 of 3 vehicle lanes in each direction, a separated bike lane in both directions, green space and trees, and widened sidewalks for improved comfort and accessibility.

The design team described intersections and spotlighted the Pedestrian Bridge at Otis Street that will be removed.

Under the proposed plan, Otis Street will have a raised crosswalk for safer pedestrian movement. The removal of the pedestrian bridge would add more than 1,000 square feet of space to the Deanna Cremin Playground.

Other community benefits include improved access to the Green Line Extension (GLX) and the Community Path, new open space at Somerville Avenue and Medford Street, and gives priority to pedestrians, cyclists, and public transportation to reduce car-dependence and improve mobility.

The next steps will allow for ongoing community engagement until the 100 percent final design in 2027, followed by advertisement, bid review, and contractor selection. The anticipated completion of construction is 2032.

State Rep. Mike Connolly thanked the team and said that he was pleased with MassDOT’s commitment to adding a raised crosswalk at Otis Street. He also echoed concerns from written questions about accessibility in the Brickbottom neighborhood.

Brad Rawson, Director of Mobility at OSPCD, thanked the team on behalf of the City of Somerville and said the project had reached a milestone in the planning process.

Later, on December 18, a Somerville Pedestrian & Transit Advisory Committee meeting was held, and members discussed some of the key aspects from the hearing.

At the PTAC meeting, mobility staff presented key elements of the design for MassDOT’s McGrath Boulevard project with the goal of identifying recommendations to incorporate into a comment letter in support of the project.