The Department of Transportation has announced a formal meeting to discuss the future of the Bowker Overpass and new ramps from that structure to the turnpike. The meeting will take place Tuesday, June 12, from 6 – 8, at the Mezzanine Conference Room of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square.  The Friends of the Charlesgate ask that we come to the meeting and show support at this all important event. Decisions could be made there that will determine the long-term fate of both the Bowker and the Charlsgate, and could impact the quality of life in the city of Boston for many years to come.
Charlesgate Park, located in Back Bay West, is the link to the Charles River from the historic Emerald Necklace and was destroyed with the construction of the Bowker Overpass in 1967. This overpass connects Storrow Drive to Park Drive and upper Boyston Street. Now, as the 40 year old structure approaches its final years as a safe and viable roadway, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Transportation is faced with a critical decision: rebuild the Bowker Overpass or remove it permanently, establishing alternative routes, and restore the once lovely parkland known as the Charlesgate to its intended use as an urban green space in the downtown neighborhoods of Boston. The restoration could potentially provide a pedestrian-friendly passage to the Esplanade as well as reestablish the continuity of the Commonwealth Mall to Kenmore Square.
The Friends of the Charlesgate is actively seeking to remove the overpass. With the support of Representative Marty Walz and Boston City Councillor Mike Ross, they have met to discuss this issue with representatives from Mass DOT, the Boston City Transportation Department, the BRA, the Medical Academic and Scientific Community Organization, the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, and the Muddy River Restoration Project. Visit their website at http://cgatepark.com, and while there you may sign the petition supporting the restoration of Charlesgate Park.
