Neighbors and elected leaders are pushing state highway officials to alter plans for a $21-million repair project on a Dorchester stretch of the I-93 expressway that is set to start in April and continue for the next two years.
The project, which was made public last week, was a hot topic at Monday evening’s meeting of Columbia Savin Hill Civic Association (CSHCA). In particular, residents are concerned that the project — which is focused near Columbia Road’s on and off ramps at JFK/UMass station — will mainly include noisy work between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m., in close proximity to many homes. MassDOT officials awarded the contract to McCourt Construction last month.
“It’s a two-year project to fix the problems and good for them,” said civic president Bill Walczak. “The problem for us is they plan on doing construction between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. We have to stop that. If they’re going to work on it they can’t do it when people are trying to sleep…There’s no way people are going to tolerate work overnight for more than two years.”
Boston Collegiate Charter School’s lower campus will be one of the abutters most impacted by the project. In a statement to The Reporter, a spokesperson said the school wasn’t aware of the plan.
“One of Boston Collegiate’s main school parking lots is under the overpass where work will take place, and several of our classrooms are situated directly beside the highway,” read the statement. “We are concerned about possible disruptions to staff parking and student learning.”
At this point, MassDOT said in a statement sent to The Reporter on Tuesday, it “plans to proceed with overnight work on this project to minimize traffic impacts on I-93 and nearby roads and will keep all abutters informed throughout the construction process. In addition, the contractor will implement noise controls to limit disruptions to nearby residents.”
State Rep. Dan Hunt and state Sen. Nick Collins say they will be working to change that decision.
Hunt said that many people were unaware of the project, but that it has been planned for more than 10 years.
“I was a little surprised,” he said. “We’ve been talking about this project a long time, but normally there would be some sort of public notice.
“My strong feelings and desire is to always have a robust community process, and we want to meet with the project manager and Highway Commissioner to express our concerns about overnight work, lights, and noise. It’s work that needs to be done, but not to the detriment of neighbors and the neighborhood.”
Collins told the civic association members that he and Hunt were in early meetings with MassDOT about alternatives.
“We are meeting with them to find out the options,” he said. “Usually they have a plan A, B, and C and we’re talking with them about what those other options might be. They’re feeling like this time is the most beneficial for their workforce and everyone is asleep, but it won’t help people in the neighborhood to sleep next to this work. I can’t promise anything but we’re meeting with them.”
The work, while not glamorous, is seen as necessary to keep the I-93 corridor safe. It focuses on repairing existing bridge deck joints to eliminate water leaks into the steel structures below – which can be observed from the ground to be heavily rusted and worn.
Work is expected to be completed by fall 2028.
