It has been about a year now since the latest extension of the Neponset River Greenway opened between Mattapan Square and Central Avenue. It took years of planning to arrive at a consensus route for the 1.3-mile connection that includes both Boston and Milton.
It was a thoughtful, if extended process. Advocates led walks and trolley rides to the edge of the river, parts of which had been virtually sealed off from public access for generations. And state officials sought funding from federal transportation sources and were repeatedly rebuffed.
Finally, the Patrick administration grew weary of the federal dollar chase and committed to ante up the funds from state coffers. It was a $14 million-plus expenditure, made costlier by the need to create and install a bridge over the Neponset River near Ryan Playground. In another hurdle that slowed the job, a second span— called a canopy bridge— was built to avoid the trolley tracks near Mattapan station.
It was worth the wait.
On Saturday, Gov. Baker— whose team oversaw the final stages of the Greenway extension and followed through on the promise to build it— will be on hand with other officials to dedicate the Greenway section and the Harvest bridge, the showpiece element of the project. The bridge has become a favorite place for walkers and cyclists to pause for a few minutes of quiet reflection amid the bustle of the city as the river bubbles along underneath.
This expanse of the Neponset waterfront reveals new surprises daily from the diverse vantage points afforded by the Greenway elevations. The canopy boardwalk, which winds through the treetops and descends into the riverbank, is a thrill at any speed.
From the moment the ropes dropped last May, this new section of the Greenway has been heavily used, a testament to just how much demand there has always been from our community to explore our own wondrous backyard.
Saturday’s events (noon-to-3 p.m. at Ryan Playground, by the bridge) will include live music, a guide walk, a family friendly bike ride and a ribbon cutting led by Gov. Baker. It will be, fittingly, a celebration of the latest marker in the extraordinary reclamation of our waterfront.
Like Pope John Paul II Park, Neponset II Park, and, most recently, Finnegan Park in Port Norfolk, which opened last year, the Greenway has taken shape slowly, but surely. The next chapter in our march toward full access awaits resolution. A key missing link between Port Norfolk and Morrissey Boulevard still needs funds and final plans to move ahead. Saturday’s celebration will be a welcome reminder to all of us that our shared investment in amenities like the Greenway are well worth the money and the time spent.
– Bill Forry
