Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Boston

Boston Says So Long to the Casey Overpass, a 1950s Highway Relic

The image shows plans for the at-grade street that will replace the overpass. Image: Arborwaymatters via MassDOT
The Casey Overpass will be replaced with an at-grade street. Image: Arborwaymatters via MassDOT
The image shows plans for the at-grade street that will replace the overpass. Image: Arborwaymatters via MassDOT

This month, Boston is demolishing a monument to 1950s-era car infrastructure: The Casey Overpass, a short elevated road built in 1955 to whisk drivers over the Forest Hills MBTA station in Jamaica Plain without encountering any pesky things like intersections or pedestrians.

The last car drove over the decrepit 1,600-foot-long structure just a few days ago, and construction crews have begun taking it apart. Soon the residents of Forest Hills will say goodbye forever to the hulking eyesore blighting their neighborhood.

The Casey Overpass had gotten so ? that it was down to just two extremely potholed lanes. Photo: Arborwaymatters
The lovely view beneath the Casey Overpass. Photo: Arborwaymatters
The Casey Overpass had gotten so ? that it was down to just two extremely potholed lanes. Photo: Arborwaymatters

In its place, the state will construct an at-grade street with three lanes in each direction and a protected bike lane.

The road removal encountered its share of resistance along the way, including from a local bike shop owner, but the arguments for the teardown won out.

Removing the overpass will enable the creation of a more walkable street grid and reintegrate the neighborhood with Boston's beloved "Emerald Necklace," the Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park system.

Tearing down the overpass also saved a lot of money compared to rebuilding it -- about $21 million, according to the Boston Globe.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Zivarts: How ‘Week Without Driving’ Is Having An Impact

Needing to drive in a car-dependent society is not some sort of moral failure. A one-week teach-in can help elected officials see that.

August 5, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines Smile, You’re on Candid Camera

Automated traffic enforcement cameras are easy to hate, until you start looking at how much they make streets safer.

August 5, 2025

Trump’s Transportation ‘Funding Freeze’ Was Just the Tip of the Iceberg, GAO Says

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was slow to get money out the door even before the current president threw the process into chaos. This must change.

August 4, 2025

Monday’s Headlines Hit the Beach

North America needs more coastal bikeways like those in European beach towns, David Zipper writes in CityLab.

August 4, 2025

Bus Rapid Transit Can Work … If Cities Follow the Formula

It sure beats the current method of guessing or simply basing the route on how strongly a given neighborhood opposes or supports it.

August 1, 2025

Friday Video: We’re All Paying For ‘Free’ Parking, Whether Or Not We Drive

Parking mandates aren't the only reason why your city has so much asphalt. Check out the hidden reason why so many businesses build way more parking than they need.

August 1, 2025
See all posts