BOSTON -- A plan, revived by the Patrick administration, to build a bypass road through part of the Esplanade has ignited a firestorm of debate.
"We knew it was going to be controversial," Richard Sullivan, Commissioner of Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation, said.
The paving is necessary due to plans for construction in the Sturrow Drive Tunnel. According to state officials, the plan will save a lot of time and money.
"We allowed to go a little further into the Esplanade, although not into the Hatch shell or the Oval," Commissioner Sullivan said. "It wouldn't prevent any activities that take place there."
The new bypass would allow construction crews to work from 7am to 7pm, cutting construction time by sis months. It is estimated to save the state $5 million.
"To put a roadway, an active 40 mile-per-hour roadway, on virgin parkland is something that we can't support," Michael Ross, Boston City Counselor, said.
According to Ross, if the plan passes it would set a precedent that he and his constituents do not like.
"I recognize the challenge that the commissioner has," Ross said. "This is not an easy job."
If the bypass is built, it is planned to divert traffic from Sturrow Drive to the Esplanade for approximately two years. A decision on the plan is expected next month.
(Copyright (c) 2007 Sunbeam Television Corp. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
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