The Southwest Corridor Park was almost a highway. On this walk you can see what happened when the expressway plan was dropped, the narrow corridor became transit lines, and a park was built around it.

The never-built Southwest Expressway would have continued I-95 from Route 128 to downtown Boston, replacing the commuter and Amtrak rail line embankment. Hundreds of businesses and homes between Forest Hills and the South End were demolished in the 1960s to prepare for the new highway. As demolition progressed, however, community residents and activists lobbied in protest. Governor Francis Sargent reexamined the issue and announced his decision in 1972: no road. Funding set aside for I-95 was transferred to public transportation, the first such transfer in the country. The Orange Line–then an elevated line on Washington Street–was relocated into the underground rail corridor.

Click for “WalkBoston’s Boston: Southwest Corridor Park Walking Map” on Google Maps