Construction advisory for Hammond Pond Parkway

Construction has begun on a two-year, $11.3-million redesign of the Hammond Pond Parkway, a two-mile park roadway south of Boston College’s Main Campus that connects to Beacon Street, and serves as a link to many communities south and west of the University.

Undertaken by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, with support from Governor Maura Healey’s administration and the City of Newton, the project aims to enhance safety and accessibility for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles between Beacon Street and Route 9, particularly to the Hammond Pond Reservation and the Webster Conservation Area.  During the lengthy construction period, commuters to BC using the Hammond Pond Parkway should expect delays, and are encouraged to seek alternate routes to the Main Campus.  

During the first phase—Beacon Street to and under the Route 9 overpass—the current four-lane roadway will be reduced to two lanes, and the resulting space will allow the creation of a 12-foot shared-use path on the west side, and a four-foot walking path on the east side.  Additional improvements include a 15-foot planting strip, new lighting, new curbing and crossings, guardrails, and signal design. The second phase, which has not yet been approved, will include the section from Route 9 to the Horace James Circle in Brookline.

The construction will have the greatest impact on BC facilities and trades employees working at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway, and may also affect users of the event and rehearsal space managed by the Robsham Theater Arts Center.  BC representatives recently met with the DCR project management team and the general contractor, C. Naughton Corporation, to discuss the project’s schedule, establish methods of communication for project updates and for participation in construction meetings, as well as emphasize the critical importance of maintaining access to the 300 Hammond facility for BC employees, vendors, and visitors.

According to DCR Commissioner Brian Arrigo, the redesign is important to the regional transportation network.

“This project will make this busy road safer for the community, while increasing green space for recreation and promoting sustainable transportation,” he said.  “It helps ensure our parkways provide neighborhoods with safe and accessible connections to economic centers and natural resources.”