The proposed Charlesgate paths and parks will reconnect the Charles River Basin with the Back Bay Fens and reclaim an area overshadowed by highway infrastructure since the mid-20th century. Charlesgate will become a regional north/south greenway link serving tens of thousands of people and will be an innovative park for residents in the Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods.
Background: The Charlesgate was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in the 1880s as a verdant river park linking the Back Bay Fens to the Charles River. This historic park gateway was severed in the mid-20th century by the construction of Storrow Drive in the 1950s and the Bowker Overpass in 1965. Sustained advocacy for restoring a safe greenway link began with the DCR Charles River Basin master plan of 2002 and was advanced by a succession of local and citywide groups. In 2017, The Charlesgate Alliance and Emerald Necklace Conservancy, with assistance from the Solomon Foundation, hired a consultant to develop a visionary design for reclamation of the Charlesgate area. At the same time, MassDOT undertook to redesign Storrow Drive bridges in a way that would dramatically improve parkland connectivity.
Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
| 2002 | Charlesgate Connection scoping |
| 2012 | Charlesgate Greenway phase 1 design |
| 2016 | Storrow Drive bridge redesign |
| 2018 | Charlesgate area conceptual design |
| 2019 | Boston CPA awards $400,000 for design |
| 2020 | DCR approves $104,000 in matching funds to remove two stone barrier walls |
| 022 | MassDOT announce plans to redesign and replace the Bowker Overpass over ten years |
| 2023 | MassDOT shared plans to transform the Bowker Overpass crossing the turnpike |
| Future | |
| 2024 | Scheduled removal of non-structural stone walls |
| 2025 | Scheduled start of construction for the southern portion of the Bowker Overpass |
| 2027 | Scheduled start of construction for the northern portion of the Bowker Overpass |
Project Details
Initiated
- 2008 Scoping for greenway links
- 2012 Charlesgate Greenway- Phase 1
- 2016 Charlesgate Parks
Solomon and Barr Investments
- $72,000
Partner Investments
- $886,000
Estimated cost to complete
- $19,000,000
Key Partners
- Charlesgate Alliance
- Emerald Necklace Conservancy
- Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR)
- Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Consultants
Status
- – MassDOT advancing Bowker Overpass replacement project
Press
- New life for an Olmsted gem at Charlesgate – The Boston Globe
- MassDOT’s Plans to Rebuild Bowker Overpass – StreetsBlog Mass
Documents
Map/Directions
Photo Gallery
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