Neptune Road
Neptune Road is situated within Boston's East Boston district in Massachusetts. This street is interrupted by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Blue Line, which emerges above ground just southwest of Neptune Road. A significant segment of the road southeast of these rail tracks falls inside the boundaries of Logan International Airport.
History
Originally, Neptune Road served as a residential avenue and functioned as the gateway to Wood Island Park, a 47-acre waterfront green space crafted in the 19th century by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Characterized by its tree-lined central medians, the street was once likened by The Boston Globe to a smaller-scale version of Commonwealth Avenue.
During the late 1960s and early 1970s, expansion efforts for Logan Airport led to the displacement of numerous families residing along Neptune Road. This development transformed much of the area into warehouse spaces and rental car lots. The presence of low-flying aircraft over residential zones caused tensions with airport authorities. In 1967, Wood Island Park was removed entirely. On April 23, 1969, a crew of 35 workers cut down 35 elm trees lining the street. Under the leadership of then-director and future Governor of Massachusetts Edward J. King, the Massachusetts Port Authority acquired roughly of Neptune Road through eminent domain proceedings, forcibly evicting residents with assistance from US Marshals.
Following these changes, Logan Airport established four "airport edge buffers," which incorporate parks and landscaped areas. Notably, some of Boston’s remaining elm trees survive along Neptune Road, showing resilience against Dutch elm disease that devastated many local elms during the 20th century.