Commonwealth Ave. Carriageway Restoration

Background: In 2018, the Foundation learned that MassDOT was finalizing designs to replace the Route 30 Bridge over the Charles River between Weston and Newton complete with a shared use path along the bridge that would connect to Norumbega Road and Weston’s waterfront along the Charles River. Construction staging for Charles River Bridge replacement would necessitate temporary roadway changes in Newton on Commonwealth Ave. We also learned that Weston was working to complete designs for a 3.75 mile shared use path along Route 30 to the west, connecting to the bridge over the Charles River.  The Foundation saw the opportunity for Newton to transform this dangerous unpleasant stretch of Commonwealth Ave. into a beautiful greenway. This critical link in the Charles River Greenway system could be done in tandem with MassDOT’s Route 30 Charles River bridge replacement project. Mayor Ruth Anne Fuller and her staff immediately saw the benefit of enhancing the western gateway to Newton. With seed money from the Foundation, and strong community support from Auburndale residents and the Riverside Greenway Working Group, Newton is working with Howard Stein Hudson and Halvorson Design on plans to produce a full design package that coordinates with the MassDOT bridge replacement project.