Safety upgrades to begin on Memorial Drive weeks after bicyclist’s death

State officials are breaking ground on $1.5 million in safety improvements to Memorial Drive in Cambridge several weeks after a bicyclist's death.

The project that's scheduled to begin Monday on Memorial Drive from Magazine Street to Audrey Street is expected to be completed by Thanksgiving.

Newton father John Corcoran was hit and killed last month near the Boston University boathouse by a driver who lost control of his vehicle and veered onto the sidewalk.

Witnesses said that the vehicle jumped the curb before hitting Corcoran near a dangerous spot where a shared-use path merges into a narrow sidewalk.

"I think it's important to recognize how fundamentally dangerous the entirety of Memorial Drive is," said Chris Cassa with Cambridge Bike Safety. "You have cars that are driving at 50 mph on what's supposed to be a state park and conservation land."

The speed limit is now permanently being lowered from 35 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour along the BU bridge corridor.

Other changes include widening the sidewalks leading to the BU bridge rotary, adding a 10- to 12-foot-wide raised shared-use path on the riverside, restriping crosswalks, and improving wheelchair ramps.

The work that gets underway Monday, October 7th, through Friday, October 11th, will be happening from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.

The hours will then shift on Tuesday, October 15th through Tuesday, November 26th, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. with potential night and weekend work.

The DCR is warning drivers to expect traffic congestion during rush hours and advising them to seek alternate routes.

"There should be a police detail out here during construction. I'm hopeful that the speed reduction and presence of traffic enforcement will reduce some of the speeds," said State Rep. Mike Connolly.

Rep. Connolly, who represents Cambridge and Somerville, believes the changes are a vital first step in the right direction to protect the lives of bicyclists and pedestrians.

"These are long overdue changes, and even after these upgrades are performed, I think there's more work to be done," he added.

DCR is also working with MassDOT on a project that will redesign the intersection of Memorial Drive and the BU Bridge.

That additional project also involves the installation of new signal equipment, but construction is not expected to begin until next spring .

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