2.5 min readBy Published On: November 28th, 2018Categories: News0 Comments on Northern Avenue Bridge: What’s in store

The Northern Avenue Bridge was built in 1908 and is a piece of history currently sitting in the Fort Point Channel waiting to figure out what’s in store for its future. Since 2014, the bridge has not been in use. When the City of Boston planned to take the whole thing down, the Coast Guard warned it could collapse into the ocean. So the City vowed to reconstruct and – with the pledge from General Electric of up to $100 million – to repair this iconic bridge that connects the Seaport District to Atlantic Ave.

There are a few design options on the table, one with a a bike/pedestrian only bridge, and others that would allow cars to use the bridge.The City of Boston invites you to a community meeting on the Northern Avenue Bridge on Wednesday, November 28th from 6pm-8pm at District Hall, Assembly Room.  To learn more about this project, visit here! 

The City of Boston wants you to be part of the process and let your voices be heard when it comes to this decision! There are four objectives to the planning process:

1. IMPROVE MOBILITY
The South Boston Waterfront is booming and Downtown Boston continues to grow and transform. The future Northern Avenue Bridge, spanning the Fort Point Channel, must help people connect to the opportunities in these vibrant neighborhoods.

As we reconstruct the bridge, we want to improve mobility both across the bridge and on the channel beneath it.

2. HONOR HISTORY
The current Northern Avenue Bridge is treasured by some for a variety of reasons: it is a reminder of Boston’s industrial past and the mechanical age; it is a 20th Century icon between two neighborhoods that increasingly feature 21st Century designs; it has a distinctive shape on the harbor’s edge; and, it is a massive structure that used to move.

As we reconstruct this bridge, we want to honor this history, material, profile, and dynamism.

3. STRENGTHEN RESILIENCY
In the next 100 years, Boston will experience the impact of sea level rise. The City has mapped the expected impacts, and the Fort Point Channel is a critical area on Boston’s coastline.

As we reconstruct this bridge, we want to make sure it remains a reliable link in a more resilient transportation network and does not preclude future efforts to directly address storm surge and sea level rise.

4. CREATE A DESTINATION
This bridge is at a key location: it connects two distinct neighborhoods; it is a gateway to the Fort Point Channel and connects the Channel to the Harbor; it is a key link of the Boston Harborwalk; and it connects the Rose Kennedy Greenway and Boston to the sea.

As we reconstruct the bridge, we want to realize the long-envisioned opportunity to not only create a connection with this span, but a new destination in a keystone location in the city.

The goal is to have the bridge complete by 2022. You can learn more here! 

Leave A Comment