U.S. Department of Transportation Breaks Ground on Volpe Transportation Systems Center

The U.S. Department of Transportation broke ground in late October of 2019 on the 400,000-sf John A. Volpe Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Mass. Designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, the project involves the construction of a $750 million transportation research facility sited on four acres, which will be funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The remaining ten acres currently occupied by the Department of Transportation will be released to the university for mixed-use development. Consolidating operations currently dispersed in six separate buildings, the sustainably designed structure will feature rooftop photovoltaic panels, highly efficient building systems, and extensive underground parking. Offering interior spaces illuminated by abundant natural light, the building will utilize fins on the exterior façades to minimize heating and cooling loads. The project is being delivered as a public-private partnership between the U.S. Department of Transportation, the General Services Administration, and MIT.