The Davis Path Footbridge closed in April 2020. Its main span came down that June. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, MassDOT will hold a virtual public hearing on the design that replaces it. The design is worth a close look. It has an elevator on one side and an accessible ramp on the other, which the 1911 bridge never had. Those same features are the reason the project's calendar now runs through state and federal review. The current schedule has contractor bids going out in Spring 2029, and only if funding is in place.
That changes what the hearing is for. Residents can still shape what gets built. The date it opens depends on a funding process that Brookline has applied to but does not control.
The gap the bridge used to close
Davis Path runs north to south between White Place and Boylston Street, which is Route 9. It crosses the Green Line D-Branch between the Brookline Hills and Brookline Village stations. Emerson Garden is on one side of the tracks, Boylston Street Playground is on the other, and the Old Lincoln School is close by. In the Town's description, the path connects neighborhoods north and south of the tracks to the civic center. That includes Town Hall, the Main Library, the courthouse, the Police Station and Brookline Village's shops.
Without the bridge, the nearest crossings are Washington Street, about 900 feet from the site, and Cypress Street, about 1,500 feet away. At a 2020 Town committee site visit, one participant estimated that getting to White Place without the bridge added half a mile to the trip. Brookline's pedestrian advocates described the old bridge as a shortcut to Boylston Street Playground for families on Davis Avenue and White Place. They also called it a quieter walking connection to the businesses on Boylston Street.
The old bridge failed in ways repairs couldn't fix. By 2019 and 2020 the concrete was spalling, the reinforcing steel had failed, load capacity was low, and none of the lights on the bridge worked. The two ends of the path have not been connected since.
What the hearing will put on screen
MassDOT's notice describes the project as a new ADA-accessible shared-use crossing over the D-Branch. It would have an elevator and stairs on the north side and stairs and ramps on the south side. The notice says the crossing is meant for pedestrians, cyclists, people with limited mobility, micromobility users, seniors and families.
The hearing handout gives the details. The proposed span is about 59 feet long. The White Place approach is tight, so it gets stairs and an elevator. The Boylston Street side gets an ADA-compliant ramp, a sloped walkway, and gateway stairs down to the playground. The presentation explains why each side ended up different. A ramp at White Place would have needed about a dozen switchbacks, and there wasn't room for them. Stairs plus an elevator fit.
The deck also lists design goals that neighbors on either side will recognize:
- An open-looking structure that keeps sightlines clear
- Lighting aimed downward to limit spill onto nearby properties
- Seating in the adjacent park
- A bridge that respects local history without copying the old one
The October materials don't name a structural material for the new bridge. A 2020 Town committee talked about steel-truss and prestressed-concrete options, but that discussion was exploratory and came before the current design.
The presenting team includes MassDOT Project Manager Harry Adolphe, Brookline DPW Commissioner Erin Chute, Engineering and Transportation Director Dan Murphy, and Project Coordinator Bill Smith.
Why the elevator changed the calendar
In June, Brookline.News reported the clearest explanation of the delay so far. According to coordinator William Smith, adding an elevator and other accessibility features the original bridge lacked made the project eligible for the state's Transportation Improvement Program, known as TIP. Qualifying for TIP also meant going through a long review with both MassDOT and the MBTA. Smith told the outlet that "the projected construction timeline has evolved." He also wrote that "the objective remains to secure outside construction funding through the Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization's TIP."
The town had tried other routes to construction money first. The same Brookline.News report says Brookline applied for four federal infrastructure grants between 2023 and 2025, including the Reconnecting Communities program, and none came through. As of June, construction funding had still not been secured.
Here is how the schedule has moved:
| When reported | Expected next milestone |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Construction could begin by 2026 |
| 2025 | Bidding in spring 2027, construction later that year |
| October 2026 hearing deck | Advertise to contractors in Spring 2029, assuming funding |
Brookline.News called the June timeline the third major revision. It noted that the town's own planning documents suggest more than a decade could pass between the old bridge's removal and the new one's completion.
The steps between now and bids are listed in the deck. First, MassDOT's 25% design comments get resolved in Fall and Winter 2026. The 75% design milestone follows in Spring and Summer 2027, then 100% design approval in Summer 2028, and contractor advertising in Spring 2029. Construction is expected to take about two years. Setting beams and other key work will require weekend Green Line closures. If bids go out in 2029 and work starts soon after, the bridge would open around 2031. That is an estimate based on the published milestones. The project has not published a completion date.
The cost figure depends on which document you open
The cost has held fairly steady while the schedule slipped, but public records give three different numbers:
| Source | Estimate | What it reflects |
|---|---|---|
| October 2026 hearing deck | $14.2 million | Construction at 25% design, excluding right-of-way and adjacent park work |
| Boston Region MPO record, March 2026 | About $15.9 million | Adjusted cost, as reported by the Brookline Record |
| MassDOT project tracker | About $7.6 million | Contract estimate, with status last logged August 6, 2025 |
The $14.2 million figure in the hearing presentation is the newest estimate in the materials residents will see on Oct. 20. The deck expects 80% federal and 20% Commonwealth funding. The MassDOT tracker still shows the project's status as "25% Package Received" as of August 2025. Neither the tracker nor the deck explains why the two figures differ. According to a 2023 Brookline.News report, $1.9 million was committed for design that year. That money is separate from construction funding.
What construction will mean for the blocks on either side
The design is at 25%, but the deck already shows a staging plan for whenever construction starts. White Place is expected to have traffic management for about 8 to 10 months. A work and staging area in Boylston Street Playground, reached from Leverett Street via Cameron Street, is planned for about 24 months. These are plans for the work zones. They are not pedestrian detour instructions, and they could change as the design advances.
Land rights are also part of the process. MassDOT's notice says the project needs a secure right-of-way and may require acquisitions in fee or permanent or temporary easements. The Town of Brookline is responsible for acquiring those rights, and MassDOT's land acquisition policy will be presented at the hearing.
How to weigh in
The Brookline Record laid out the logistics:
- Register for the virtual hearing on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., through the MassDOT hearing notice or the Town calendar.
- Send written statements for the hearing transcript by Tuesday, Nov. 3. Email them to [email protected], or mail them to the Chief Engineer, MassDOT, 10 Park Plaza, Suite 7550, Boston, MA 02116, Attention: Project Management.
- Include Project File No. 613683 with any submission.
- For local questions, contact William Smith at Brookline Public Works, 617-264-6480.
According to that report, MassDOT will post a recording on its Highway Division events page. Requests for translation, interpretation or other accommodations should be made at least 10 business days before the hearing. With the hearing on Oct. 20, that request deadline fell in early October.
At this stage, residents can still affect lighting, sightlines, the playground approach and the staging plan. MassDOT's notice says it will review and consider all comments submitted in response to the hearing "to the maximum extent possible." When the bridge opens is a separate question. That depends on whether Brookline wins Boston Region MPO funding, which happens outside the hearing.
Easements, staging areas and multiyear public review schedules are the kind of issues our development practice works through. If you own on White Place, Davis Avenue or along Boylston Street and want to understand how the staging and right-of-way plans could affect your property, The Charney Group can review the hearing materials with you. Schedule a private market consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
