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Contractors Bid on Plan to Reconstruct Dorchester Avenue Intersections
11/9/2009 - Released by Transportation Department
For more information contact Tracey Ganiatsos
The overhaul of fifteen intersections along Dorchester Avenue took a giant step forward recently with the opening of bids from contractors competing for the much anticipated project. The reconstruction is being funded with federal stimulus money under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. The job is expected to take two years to complete and will provide jobs for over 100 people. Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino said, "Boston was credited with being one of the very first municipalities to recognize the potential of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act for American cities. When the announcement was made by the federal government that these funds would be made available we acted swiftly to submit our projects for consideration. As a result, I am very pleased to announce that one of Boston's most active thoroughfares will receive significant improvements to benefit Boston residents, businesses and visitors." The federal government requires that individual state governments oversee the disbursement of funds and management of the chosen projects. In keeping with this directive, the Massachusetts Highway Department (MHD) is working cooperatively with the City of Boston and the agency accepted estimates from contractors who submitted bids on the Dorchester Avenue reconstruction. "We have an extremely successful partnership with Mayor Menino and the City of Boston that will result in critical improvements to both roads and transit using the opportunity that ARRA stimulus funds provide us," said incoming Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Jeffrey Mullan. "In the past month we have opened a new Silver Line route direct from Dudley to South Station, announced that stimulus funds will help build more bicycle facilities at MBTA stations, and today we're showing progress on one of Boston's most important roads." The project limits stretch from Ashmont Street to Old Colony Avenue. Major reconstruction work will take place at four intersections. At Peabody Square, Fields Corner, Glovers Corner and Andrews Square, curb realignment will create shorter, safer and more efficient crosswalks as well as designated public plaza locations. Significant landscaping improvements will also be undertaken and outmoded streets lights will be replaced. This project will also include the first elements in what will ultimately be a bike lane on Dorchester Avenue from Lower Mills to Broadway. In addition, at all 15 intersections within the project limits work to be accomplished includes: Street resurfacing New pavement markings New ADA compliant Handicap Ramps New Traffic Signals, pedestrian signals and control boxes Signals will be connected via fiber optic to the Boston Transportation Department's Traffic Management Center giving traffic engineers at City Hall the ability to make immediate remote timing adjustments to the traffic signals at these 15 intersections in order to ease traffic congestion and improve traffic and pedestrian safety. The Dorchester Avenue project is the culmination of a thorough community process that began when Mayor Menino created a joint neighborhood task force representing Dorchester and South Boston, to work with the Boston Transportation Department and the Boston Redevelopment Authority and devise an Action Plan for Dorchester Avenue. This resulted in the development of guidelines and design plans for Fields Corner, Glovers Corner and Andrews Square. Public Works Department plans to reconstruct Peabody Square, and Boston Transportation Department plans to revamp traffic signal operations at several intersections along the street, were incorporated into the final design. BTD Commissioner Thomas J. Tinlin said that representatives from a number of neighborhood organizations, as well as Boston City Councilor Maureen Feeney and Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Services staff members, should be credited for their hard work and commitment during the arduous planning process that led to the new design. Organizations involved in the design plan include: St. Mark's Area Main Streets Viet Aid Andrews Square Civic Association Fields Corner Main Streets Fields Corner Civic Association Freeport/Adams Civic Association Columbia/Savin Hill Civic Association Lower Mills Civic Association Dorchester ART.

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