Massachusetts is moving forward with a long-anticipated car-free connection across the Mystic River, clearing the way for a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge between Everett and Somerville.
The project is expected to give walkers and cyclists a safer route, though it is also arriving with a significantly higher price tag than state officials had originally projected.
Here’s what to know
Streetsblog Mass reported that a car-free link between the Encore Casino site in Everett and Draw Seven Park in Somerville moved closer to construction on Sept. 23. MassDOT’s board unanimously approved a $78.7 million design-build contract for the Mystic River Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge.
The contract went to Barletta Heavy Division, Inc., and MassDOT expects the work to take about three years, according to the outlet…