MassDOT planning a pedestrian and bike path over the Charles near Museum of Science

In an attempt to provide museum visitors with a distinctive river experience and bikers with a safe detour from the congested surrounding highways, a meandering pedestrian bridge might span the Charles River between Boston and Cambridge close to the Museum of Science.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation said the Museum of Science started the initiative and will continue to assist it through its development, while the museum declined to comment. The plans are based on a feasibility study that the museum commissioned in 2023, but MassDOT started the project earlier this year.

According to MassDOT, the project will connect the Boston and Cambridge sides of the Charles River by constructing an off-road shared-use route with a movable bridge on the west side of the Museum of Science.

According to MassDOT, the project features a movable bridge to guarantee continuous marine traffic and intends to enhance transit for bikers and pedestrians.

In 2022, the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded the museum a grant of more than $200,000 to undertake a feasibility study to identify the missing pedestrian link at Science Park.

The feasibility study, written in 2023, suggests a $302 million pedestrian bridge that would link Cambridge and the Lechmere Canal with the Leverett Circle, Charles River Dam Road, and the museum.

According to the report, the multipurpose pathways will be utilized by both bicyclists and pedestrians to link a number of islands constructed as part of the project. The islands will mimic river ecosystems and draw wildlife, both of which the museum intends to include in its programming.

According to the report, the three islands will serve as stepping stones between Boston and Cambridge, two of which will not be reachable by the main multipurpose bike and pedestrian trail. A bridge in Cambridge will span the Lechmere Canal, while another bridge on the Boston side will span the dam locks on the Charles River.

According to the study, the accessible island might include an event lawn and an educational boardwalk, which would provide a fantastic new front entrance for the museum.

Although the study was not mentioned by MassDOT, the museum, which commissioned the feasibility study, will support the project design.

According to a MassDOT representative, the project is still in its early phases and MassDOT will start interacting with neighbors and other stakeholders as well as finding a funding source. After then, the project’s timeline will be decided.

A Museum of Science representative directed inquiries to MassDOT.