[4] Construction for the park was then done in conjunction with the project to reroute the MBTA Orange Line down the existing rail right-of-way which the planned highway was to follow.

[2][5][6] Since land acquisition and demolition of structures had already taken place along the route's path prior to the cancellation of the highway project, the Southwest Corridor remained a "terrible urban scar" for nearly ten years.

However, local residents began to grow community gardens on the land, which gradually multiplied and ultimately led to the commencement of park construction in 1978.

[1][2][4] The first segments of the park opened in 1987,[6] while the remainder to the South End and Back Bay was finished in the following years.

[6] The Southwest Corridor Park is 4.7 miles (7.6 km) in length and occupies 52 acres (21 ha) of land running alongside the right of way of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Orange Line and Commuter Rail lines and Amtrak's Northeast Corridor from Back Bay Station to Forest Hills Station.