BOSTON (AP) - Work on the first project to be constructed over the Massachusetts Turnpike in about four decades is expected to start next week.
Developer Samuels & Associates closed Friday on financing for a $700 million complex over the highway along Massachusetts Avenue, The Boston Globe reported.
The undertaking will require construction of a deck above eight lanes of highway and rail lines during a time of economic uncertainty brought about by the coronavirus.
The complex includes a 20-story office tower and a 13-story hotel. A half-acre public plaza with retail space, improved sidewalks, and a new entrance to the Hynes Green Line stop is planned for between the buildings.
Planning has been underway since 2013, when the Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded the site to Samuels.
Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack said her agency is glad to see the project moving forward, and is designing plans to keep traffic and trains flowing during construction.
Copley Place, which opened in the early 1980s, was the last project built over the Pike.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.