On Wednesday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) joined other Massachusetts officials to announce a $335 million federal grant to help fund the Allston I-90 project.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and members of the Massachusetts Congressional Delegation joined Warren during the announcement and said the project would rebuild deficient sections of the interstate near the Allston neighborhood in Boston and open up new area for development, as well as increase multimodal transit access and reconnect the Allston neighborhood with space along the Charles River.
The funding is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and is expected to also create 3,800 new construction jobs. The economic growth that stems from the project is expected to create another 12,400 permanent jobs from new residential, institutional and commercial development.
“The $335 million we’ve secured for Allston will be transformational to the city and make the kind of changes to peoples’ lives that they can see and feel,” Warren said. “Families in Boston, especially those who are disadvantaged, deserve this funding to connect their communities with public transit and new bike lanes, to open more public spaces for our kids to play outside, and to create thousands of good, new jobs.”
The funding supports the city’s efforts to connect communities previously separated by I-90 and to create space for the construction of West Station which officials said will connect commuter rail, bus, shuttle and bike share opportunities, and enhance transportation access for those communities. West Station will support four tracks and three platforms for the MBTA commuter rail, officials said.
“This is another major win for Massachusetts. The Allston Multimodal Project is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve transportation infrastructure in the Allston community and better connect residents across the state with housing and job opportunities,” Healey said. “We’re grateful for the partnership of the Biden-Harris administration, our Congressional delegation, the City of Boston and other partners to drive progress on this important project.”