Massachusetts Turnpike-Soldiers Field Road project in Allston will take a decade or so

The state’s plan to lower the Massachusetts Turnpike in Allston to ground level and elevate a nearby section of Soldiers Field Road along the Charles River is expected to take eight years and cost at least $1.1 billion, the state Transportation Department announced on January 10.

What’s more, the state DOT does not expect to select a contractor for the project until 2020. That means that the years of work—and the traffic and other disruptions sure to accompany it—will likely eat up much of the next decade.

Photo courtesy of MassDOT

MassDOT does plan before 2020 to find ways to mitigate any disruptions and, for that matter, to find the exact route of the new viaduct. Right now, it’s unclear which, if any, portions of highway or roadway will be closed during construction and when.

In the end, it’s all supposed to be worth it as a raised Soldiers Field and a grade-level Mass. Pike will create more space for pedestrians and cyclists—and a less obtrusive interstate. Stay tuned.

• Mass. Pike in Allston, Soldiers Field Road are set for a major overhaul [Globe]