A rendering of a proposed “Riverwalk” for bicyclist and pedestrians across the Charles River. The Museum of Science refused use of the image without the watermark labeling it “conceptual.”
A bike lane and footpath bridge across the Charles River past the Museum of Science is being discussed again by state Department of Transportation officials as being in early stages of planning.
The “Riverwalk” path along the back of the Museum of Science would connect Lechmere Canal Park and the CambridgeSide mall with the Teddy Ebersol Field section of Boston’s Esplanade without having to navigate the bustle of the McGrath-O’Brien Highway in Cambridge and Somerville or Leverett Circle across the river.
The project, first presented in 2023, is expected to cost $302 million. The revival of discussions for the plan was reported on StreetsblogMass by reporter Christian MilNeil on Aug. 15.
Designs show three “steppingstone” islands in the Charles River basin by the Charles River Dam, which the museum sits on, with dots connected by an elevated bike and pedestrian bridge. It would be similar to the North Bank Bridge connecting Cambridge’s North Point neighborhood with Paul Revere Park and the Navy Yard in Charlestown.
One of the three islands would be a touchpoint for the bridge where cyclists and pedestrians can pause to relax and enjoy the basin. The other two will be accessible but not directly on the path, state officials said, and meant for more environmental and educational uses. The islands will attract wildlife and help purify the waterway like a floating wetland does closer to the Longfellow Bridge.
The proposed three-island installation could become prime fireworks viewing spots if Boston’s Fourth of July tradition continues.
The initial feasibility study for the project came as the result of a grant to the Museum of Science from the U.S. Economic Development Administration, officials said.
There is pedestrian access and some separated bike lane on the McGrath-O’Brien Highway side of the museum – a response to the 2018 death of Boston University graduate student Meng Jin at the highway and Museum Way – but it places walkers and riders next to speeding vehicles and their exhaust.
With the proposed crossing, a cyclist traveling northbound on the highway from Leverett Circle would not have to traverse the highly trafficked, four-lane highway to get to destinations on the other side, such as the Museum of Science and mall.
“Direct connections are what get people to choose walking and biking,” said Chris Cassa, of the Cambridge Bicycle Safety group. “Linking North Station to Kendall Square and Cambridge Crossing will make everyday commutes simpler, faster and safer.”
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