Canton, MA
During the construction of Interstate 95 in the 1960’s, the northern portion of the I93/I95 interchange in Canton was built, but the highway never extended into Boston due to community opposition. Before the project was stopped, many cubic yards of new fill were placed. The wetlands, upland meadow and woodlands that were present between two significant Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) properties, the Blue Hills Reservation and the Fowl Meadow Reservation were eliminated. DCR trail connections between the popular Skyline Trail and the Burma Road and the Green Hill Path in Fowl Meadow were also changed. This degraded 43 acre parcel known affectionately as the Northern Stub is located within the Fowl Meadow and Ponkapoag Area of Critical Environmental Concern.
Fortunately, as part of the new I-95/I-93/University Avenue and Dedham Street Interchanges project, MassDOT will restore this area and its lost ecological functions and missing trails to this important regional open space system. Fay Spofford & Thorndike, Wetlands and Wildlife and Brown, Richardson and Rowe are assisting MassDOT create a 43 acre public park with new wetlands, upland meadows, pastures, natural areas, pedestrian pathways and bicycle trails. All the new paths will become part of the DCR’s trail network and will enable the public to reach land previously cut off by the interchange.
