View source for Longfellow Bridge

{{short description|Bridge in Massachusetts}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox bridge
|bridge_name=Longfellow Bridge
|image=Longfellow Bridge, November 2019.jpg
|image_size=300px
|caption=Longfellow Bridge viewed from the Boston end in 2019
|alt=A bridge with metal arches and stone piers over a wide river
|official_name=
|carries={{jct|state=MA|MA|3}}, [[Red Line (MBTA)|MBTA Red Line]]
|crosses=[[Charles River]]
|locale=[[Boston]], [[Massachusetts]] to [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
|maint=[[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]]
|id=
|design= Steel rib [[arch bridge]]
|mainspan= {{convert|188.5|ft|m}}<ref name=jackson />
|length={{convert|1767.5|ft|m}}<ref name=jackson />
|width= {{convert|105|ft|m}}<ref name=jackson />
|height=
|load=
|clearance=
|below=
|traffic=28,600 cars and 90,000 mass-transit passengers
|begin=July 1900<ref name="jackson">{{cite book
| author2 = Cambridge Bridge Commission
| last1 = Jackson
| first1 = William
| author-link1 = William Jackson (engineer)
| title = Report of the Cambridge bridge commission and report of the chief engineer upon the construction of Cambridge bridge
| publisher = City of Boston Printing Department
| year = 1909
| page = 42
| ol = 7015322M
}}</ref>
|complete=
|open=August 3, 1906
|closed=
|rebuilt=2013–2018
|toll=
|coordinates= {{Coord|42.361635|N|71.07541|W|region:US_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

}}

The '''Longfellow Bridge''' is a steel rib [[arch bridge]] spanning the [[Charles River]] to connect [[Boston]]'s [[Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts|Beacon Hill]] neighborhood with the [[Kendall Square]] area of [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]. The bridge carries [[Massachusetts Route 3]], the [[Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority|MBTA]] [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]], bicycle, and pedestrian traffic. The structure was originally known as the '''Cambridge Bridge''', and a predecessor structure was known as the '''West Boston Bridge'''; Boston also continued to use "West Boston Bridge" officially for the new bridge. The bridge is also known to locals as the "'''Salt-and-Pepper Bridge'''"<ref>{{cite journal |last=Angelo |first=William J. |date=June 6, 2007 |title=Salt and Pepper Bridge Slated For Major Rehab in Boston |journal=Engineering News-Record |publisher=The McGraw-Hill Companies |access-date=December 11, 2011 |url=http://enr.construction.com/news/transportation/archives/070606a.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603160241/http://enr.construction.com/news/transportation/archives/070606a.asp |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> due to [[Salt and pepper shakers|the shape]] of its central towers.<ref>{{cite book|title=A Record of the Streets, Alleys, Places, Etc. in the City of Boston|date=1910|publisher=City of Boston Printing Department|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MOpIAAAAMAAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_MOpIAAAAMAAJ/page/n512 493]|access-date=25 February 2017}}</ref>

The bridge falls under the jurisdiction and oversight of the [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] (MassDOT).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=604361 |title=Bridge Rehabilitation, Cambridge Street over the Charles River |publisher=Mhd.state.ma.us |access-date=2011-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110410020702/http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=604361 |archive-date=2011-04-10 }}</ref> The bridge carries approximately 28,600 cars and 90,000 mass-transit passengers every weekday.<ref name=massdot>{{cite web| url = http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/abp/longfellow.aspx| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100804155334/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/Highway/abp/longfellow.aspx| archive-date = 2010-08-04| title = MassDOT Highway Division: Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Project| year = 2010| publisher = MassDOT (Commonwealth of Massachusetts)| location = [[Boston, Massachusetts]]| access-date = 2010-08-22| quote = The bridge presently carries 28,000 motor vehicles, 90,000 transit users, and significant numbers of pedestrians and bicyclists each day.}}</ref>  A portion of the [[MBTA subway]]'s elevated [[Charles/MGH station]] lies at the eastern end of the bridge, which connects to [[Charles Circle (Boston)|Charles Circle]].

==Design==
[[Image:Longfellow Bridge 3.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The main piers have sculptures that represent the prows of [[Viking ship]]s.]]
Longfellow Bridge is a combination railway and highway bridge. It is {{convert|105|ft|m}} wide, {{convert|1767|ft|6|in|m}} long between abutments, and nearly one-half mile in length, including abutments and approaches. It consists of eleven steel arch spans supported on ten masonry piers and two massive abutments. The arches vary in length from {{convert|101|ft|6|in}} at the abutments to {{convert|188|ft|6|in}} at the center, and in rise from {{convert|8|ft|6|in}} to {{convert|26|ft|6|in}}.  Headroom under the central arch is {{convert|26|ft}} at mean high water.

The two large central piers, {{convert|188|ft}} long and {{convert|53|ft|6|in}} wide,<ref name=jackson /> feature four carved, ornamental stone towers<!-- that provide stairway access to pedestrian passageways beneath the bridge-->. The towers are ornamented with the prows of [[Viking ship]]s, carved in granite. They refer to a [[Eben Norton Horsford#Vikings|purported voyage]] by [[Leif Eriksson]] up the Charles River circa 1000 AD, promoted at the time by Harvard professor [[Eben Horsford]]. The piers are also decorated with the city seals of Boston and Cambridge.

The Longfellow Bridge provides a panoramic view of the Boston skyline. In commenting on riding the Red Line over the bridge, the ''[[Boston Globe]]'' praised its "view of Boston’s beauty in a single, satisfying gulp".<ref>{{cite news|title=An ode to the view of Boston from a Red Line train crossing the Longfellow Bridge|work=[[Boston Globe]]|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/01/27/metro/an-ode-view-boston-red-line-train-crossing-longfellow-bridge|access-date=2020-01-28}}</ref>
{{clear left}}

==History==
[[File:1864 WestBostonBridge Boston.png|thumb|left|The predecessor West Boston Bridge, {{circa|1864}}.]]

The first river crossing at this site was a [[ferry]], first run in the 1630s.<ref name="cant">[http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/08/03/cant_get_there_from_here?mode=PF With bridges shaky, what if Boston lost its link to Cambridge?] Boston Globe, 3 Aug 2008. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090531131016/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/08/03/cant_get_there_from_here?mode=PF |date=May 31, 2009 }}</ref>  The '''West Boston Bridge''' (a toll bridge) was constructed in 1793 by a group of private investors with a charter from the Commonwealth.  At the time, there were only a handful of buildings in East Cambridge.  The opening of the bridge caused a building boom along Main Street in Cambridge, which connected the bridge to Old Cambridge.  In East Cambridge, new streets were laid out and [[land reclamation|land was reclaimed]] from the swamps along the Charles River.<ref>[[iarchive:historycambridg02paiggoog|<!-- quote=History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877. --> History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877]] by Lucius Robinson Paige. p. 176 and thereafter</ref> The [[Cambridge and Concord Turnpike]] (now Broadway) was connected to the bridge's western approach around 1812.  The bridge became toll-free on January 30, 1858.<ref>History of Cambridge, p. 201-202</ref> The first [[horsecar]] line in Boston, the [[Cambridge Railroad]] running between [[Bowdoin Square]] and [[Harvard Square]] over the West Boston Bridge, opened on March 26, 1856.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/52618574/new-england-farmer/ |title=Miscellaneous Items |newspaper=New England Farmer |date=March 29, 1856 |page=2 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> The bridge was the primary Boston–Cambridge link for the growing horsecar system, which was eventually consolidated as the [[West End Street Railway]]. The Harvard Square–Bowdoin Square line was electrified on February 16, 1889, by the West End - the second of its Boston-area lines to be so equipped.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54553211/the-boston-globe/ |title=On The Electric Cars |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=February 6, 1889 |page=4 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref><ref name=century>{{cite book |title=Tremont Street Subway: A Century of Public Service |last1=Clarke |first1=Bradley H. |last2=Cummings |first2=O.R. |year=1997 |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |isbn=0938315048 |page=9}}</ref>

In 1898, the Cambridge Bridge Commission was created to construct "a new bridge across Charles River, to be known as Cambridge Bridge, at, upon, or near the site of the so-called West Boston Bridge...  suitable for all the purposes of ordinary travel between said cities, and for the use of the elevated and surface cars of the [[Boston Elevated Railway Company]]." At its first meeting on June 16, 1898, [[William Jackson (engineer)|Willam Jackson]] was appointed Chief Engineer; shortly afterward [[Edmund M. Wheelwright]] was appointed Consulting Architect. Both then traveled to Europe, where they made a thorough inspection of notable bridges in France, Germany, Austria and Russia. Upon their return, they prepared studies of various types of bridges, including bridges of stone and steel arch spans. Wheelwright had been inspired by the 1893 [[World's Columbian Exposition|Columbian Exposition]] and was attempting to emulate the great bridges of [[Europe]]. 
[[File:Cambridge Bridge postcard.jpg|thumb|left|The new Cambridge Bridge viewed from Boston, sometime between 1906 and 1912. Streetcar tracks can be seen on each side, but the central rapid transit tracks are not yet in use.]]
Although both state and national regulations at the time required a [[draw bridge]], it became evident that a bridge without a draw would be cheaper, better-looking, and avoid disruption to traffic. The state altered its regulations accordingly, and after the War Department declined to follow suit, the United States Congress drew up an act permitting the bridge, which President [[William McKinley]] signed on March 29, 1900. Construction began in July 1900; the bridge opened to traffic in August 1906,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19535432/new_bridge_opened/ |title=NEW BRIDGE OPENED |newspaper=[[Argus Leader]] |location=[[Sioux Falls, South Dakota]] |page=4 |date=August 23, 1906 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> and was formally dedicated on July 31, 1907.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19535861/10000_march_in_boston/ |title=10,000 MARCH IN BOSTON |newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]] |page=4 |date=August 1, 1907 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref><ref name="jackson"/>

The Cambridge Bridge was renamed Longfellow Bridge in 1927,<ref name=haglund>{{cite book| last=Haglund| first=Karl| title=Inventing the Charles River| url=https://archive.org/details/inventingcharles00hagl/page/168| access-date=2011-01-25| date=September 16, 2002| publisher=[[MIT Press]]| location=[[Cambridge, Massachusetts]]| isbn=978-0-262-08307-2| page=[https://archive.org/details/inventingcharles00hagl/page/168 168]| url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/19536040/the_longfellow_bridge/ |title=The Longfellow Bridge |newspaper=[[Detroit Free Press]] |page=6 |date=February 11, 1927 |access-date=April 24, 2018 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> by the [[Massachusetts General Court]] to honor [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]], who had written about the predecessor West Boston Bridge in his 1845 poem "The Bridge".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50463/the-bridge-56d22d989abbc |title=The Bridge |first=Henry Wadsworth |last=Longfellow |via=poetryfoundation.org |access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref>

There are pedestrian stairs on both sides of the bridge at both ends adorned with stone towers.  Originally, these led to the Charles River shoreline, and on the Cambridge side they still do.  On the Boston side, the construction of [[Storrow Drive]] in 1950-51 moved the shoreline, so that the stairs now lead to isolated parcels of land cut off from the river by Storrow Drive.  There is no way to exit the upstream parcel, due to an off-ramp; the downstream one includes a crosswalk past another off-ramp.  To reach the [[Charles River Esplanade]], pedestrians must now proceed along the sidewalk to the end of the bridge, and use the [[Frances Appleton Bridge]], a wheelchair-accessible [[footbridge|pedestrian bridge]], at [[Charles Street (Boston)|Charles Circle]] slightly south of the Longfellow Bridge.

The new bridge was built with streetcar tracks plus an initially unused center reservation. On March 23, 1912, the [[Cambridge–Dorchester line]] (now the Red Line) opened from Harvard Square to {{bts|Park Street}}, with tracks on the bridge reservation connecting the Cambridge tunnel with the Beacon Hill tunnel.<ref name=engnews>{{cite magazine |url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=njp.32101061103733&view=1up&seq=229 |title=The Cambridge Subway |magazine=Engineering News |volume=67 |issue=5 |first=Lewis E. |last=Moore |pages=187–195 |date=February 1, 1912 |via=Hathi Trust}}</ref> Streetcar traffic over the bridge was greatly reduced by the subway line; on December 14, 1925, the final streetcar route over the bridge was replaced by a Kendall Square–Bowdoin Square bus route.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54550933/the-boston-globe/|title=Day and Night Cars Changes on Monday |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=December 10, 1925 |page=17 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> [[Charles/MGH station|Charles station]] opened at the Boston end of the bridge on February 27, 1932, serving the West End and [[Massachusetts General Hospital]]; the bus route was discontinued.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/54551501/the-boston-globe/ |title=New "L" Station at Charles St to Open for Service Saturday |newspaper=Boston Globe |date=February 24, 1932 |page=15 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{open access}}</ref> From 1924 to 1952, non-revenue trains from the [[East Boston Tunnel]] ran on the streetcar tracks over the bridge, switching onto the Cambridge–Dorchester line tracks near the Cambridge end. These moves, usually performed late at night, allow trains to reach the [[Harvard station#Maintenance facilities|Eliot Shops]], as the East Boston Tunnel had no heavy maintenance facility. Both streetcar tracks were used until the 1930s, when the south track was removed.<ref name=linesofthehub>{{cite book |title=Streetcar Lines of the Hub - The 1940s |last=Clarke |first=Bradley H. |year=2003 |publisher=Boston Street Railway Association |isbn=0938315056 |page=186}}</ref>

===Neglect===
[[Image:Pre-Restoration Longfellow Bridge fenced off (53829360358).jpg|thumb|left|The fenced-off sidewalk on the south side of the bridge, pre-restoration.]]The Longfellow Bridge, like many bridges in the Commonwealth,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wbztv.com/local/road.repairs.Pioneer.2.588807.html |title=Report: Mass. Road And Bridge Repair Is Poor |access-date=2008-09-02 |date=2007-07-31|agency=Associated Press |publisher=wbztv.com}} {{Dead link|date=November 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> deteriorated into a state of disrepair. Between 1907 and 2011, the only major maintenance conducted on the bridge had been a small 1959 rehabilitation project and some lesser repairs done in 2002.<ref>Westerling, David & Steve Poftak, [http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2007/07/31/a_legacy_of_neglect/ ''A Legacy of Neglect''], ''Boston Globe'' Op Ed., A11 (Jul 31, 2007).</ref>
<!--
On May 1, 2007, a fire broke out under the bridge, ignited by an unextinguished cigarette. The fire caused the bridge to be shut down to vehicle and train traffic,<ref>[http://cms.firehouse.com/web/online/News/Cigarette-Blamed-For-Boston-Bridge-Fire/46$54532 Firehouse.com]{{dead link|date=August 2011}}</ref> and also severed [[Internet2]] connectivity to Boston, causing problems with the Chicago-New York OC-192 route, according to the Internet2 blog.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://i2net.blogspot.com/2007/05/question-when-can-cigarette-take-down.html |title=Internet2 blog |publisher=I2net.blogspot.com |date=2007-05-02 |access-date=2012-08-20}}</ref>
-->
[[File:Pre-Restoration Longfellow Bridge, Boston (53828206677).jpg|thumb|right|Paint chipping off the degraded railing.]]
In mid-2008, two state employees stole {{convert|2347|ft|m}} of decorative iron trim that had been removed from the bridge for refurbishment, and sold it for [[scrap]]. The men, one of whom was a Department of Conservation and Recreation district manager, were charged with receiving $12,147 for the historic original parapet coping. The estimated cost to remake the pieces, scheduled for replication by 2012, was over $500,000.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/09/12/case_of_the_purloined_ironwork/|publisher=Boston Globe |author=Ebbert, Stephanie |date=2008-09-12 |access-date=2008-09-12 |title=Case of the purloined ironwork}}</ref>  The men were later convicted in September 2009.<ref>{{cite news
| url        = http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/09/16/pair_get_jail_for_iron_theft_at_bridge/
| title      = Pair get jail for iron theft at bridge
| first      = John R.
| last       = Ellement
| date       = 2009-09-16
| work       = Boston Globe
| publisher  = New York Times
| location   = [[Boston, Massachusetts]]
| access-date = 2009-11-14
}}</ref>

In mid-2008, the western sidewalk and inner traffic lane were both closed, the [[Red Line (MBTA)|Red Line]] subway was limited to {{convert|10|mph|kph}}, and Fourth-of-July fireworks-watchers were banned from the bridge because of concerns that the bridge might collapse under the weight and vibration of heavy use.<ref name="cant" />  The speed restriction was lifted in August 2008, and the lane and sidewalk were reopened later on. On August 4, 2008, Governor [[Deval Patrick]] signed into law a $3 billion Massachusetts bridge repair funding package he had sponsored.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/08/05/patrick_signs_3b_bill_to_fix_bridges/ |publisher=boston.com |author=Viser, Matt |date=2008-08-05 |access-date=2008-09-11 |title=Patrick signs $3b bill to fix bridges}}</ref>  The funds raised from the sale of bonds were used to pay for the rehabilitation of the Longfellow Bridge, the preliminary cost estimated at $267.5 million.<ref name="chart">{{cite web|url=http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/downloads/byLocation120808.pdf |title=Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP) Plan - By Locality |access-date=2012-08-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223210458/http://www.eot.state.ma.us/acceleratedbridges/downloads/byLocation120808.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-23 }}</ref>  If bridge maintenance had instead been performed regularly, the total estimated historical cost would have been about $81 million.<ref>Ross, Casey, [http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1065868&srvc=home&position=0/ ''Longfellow's long list of woes'']  {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613070613/http://news.bostonherald.com/news/regional/general/view.bg?articleid=1065868&srvc=home&position=0%2F |date=June 13, 2011 }}, ''Boston Herald'' Special Report, (Jan 11, 2008).</ref>  Design began in Spring 2005; construction was expected to begin in Spring 2012 and end in Spring 2016.<ref name="chart" />

Ownership and management of the overhaul was transferred from the [[Department of Conservation and Recreation (Massachusetts)|Department of Conservation and Recreation]] (DCR) to the new [[Massachusetts Department of Transportation]] (MassDOT) on November 1, 2009, along with other DCR bridges.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/massdot90dayrpt.pdf |title=90 Day Integration Report - September 2009 |access-date=2012-08-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223210417/http://www.eot.state.ma.us/downloads/massdot90dayrpt.pdf |archive-date=2012-02-23 }}</ref>

[[File:Longfellow Bridge at Sunset, July 2011.jpg|thumb|right|Emergency repairs under way, July 2011]]
The condition of the bridge was determined to be so bad that the state could not wait for development of a full restoration plan. A $17 million contract was signed with SPS New England Inc for interim repairs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101017003014/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.html|archive-date=2010-10-17 |title=Longfellow Bridge |publisher=Massdot.state.ma.us |access-date=2011-08-31}}</ref> Crews began work in August 2010 that involved improving sidewalks on the approaches to bring them up to [[ADA compliance]]. In March 2011, crews began structural inspections for Phase II and cleaning of the stone masonry piers. MassDOT announced in May 2011 that work would begin on stripping and cleaning rust from steel arch ribbons that had not been painted since 1953. Crews were to apply [[Primer (paint)|paint primer]] to the arch ribbons and evaluate them for future major rehabilitation. All work was expected to be completed by December 2011.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/beacon_hill/2011/04/beacon_hill_gets_a_longfellow.html?camp=localsearch:on:twit:HLboston/beaconhill | work=The Boston Globe | first=Sara | last=Brown | title=Beacon Hill gets a Longfellow Bridge update | date=April 12, 2011}}</ref>

===Major reconstruction project===
[[File:Structural Elements for Longfellow Bridge reconstruction 2017.png|thumb|left|Structural elements on a barge in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], waiting to be installed]]
A $255 million project started construction in the summer of 2013 to replace structural elements of the bridge, and restore its historic character.<ref name=MassDOT>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=Longfellow Bridge|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|work=Accelerated Bridge Program|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328060558/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|archive-date=28 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The project was expected to require at least 25 weekend shutdowns of MBTA Red Line subway service to accommodate construction, including multiple temporary relocations of the rapid transit tracks.<ref name=Powers>{{cite news|last=Powers|first=Martine|title=Longfellow Bridge repairs, disruption to start in summer|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-begin-this-summer-with-major-traffic-diversions/gPqPYiWt2KmmWpxB5vmOaM/story.html|access-date=2 March 2013|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 28, 2013}}</ref> Outbound road traffic (from Boston to Cambridge) was to be detoured from the bridge for all three years of expected construction. A single lane of inbound traffic was expected to be available for the duration of the project, potentially restricted to buses-only at certain hours. A [[computer animation]] movie released by MassDOT showed the complex six-stage rehabilitation process in great detail, including temporary installation of a "shoo-fly track" (bypass track) to allow the permanent railbed at the midline of the span to be rebuilt.<ref name=LBVid>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=Longfellow Bridge Construction Animation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQsyPClwVj8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/VQsyPClwVj8 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|work=youmovemass|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=6 March 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The design/build phase of the bridge was assigned to the joint venture team of contractors White-Skanska-Conslgli under supervision by MassDOT.<ref>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=MASSDOT BOARD APPROVES CONTRACTS FOR REHABILITATION OF LONGFELLOW AND WHITTIER BRIDGES|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/main/tabid/1075/ctl/detail/mid/2937/itemid/283/MassDOT-Board-Approves-Contracts-for-Rehabilitation-of-Longfellow-and-Whittier-Bridges.aspx|access-date=3 May 2013}}</ref> Preliminary design engineering was performed by [[Jacobs Engineering Group|Jacobs Engineering]]. [[STV Group (United States)|STV, Inc.]] was the final design engineer and engineer of record. The design provided for widened sidewalks and bike lanes,<ref name="MassDOT" /><ref name="Powers" /> with two motor vehicle lanes inbound (towards Boston), but only a single lane outbound (towards Cambridge).<ref name="Dungca" />

The Longfellow Bridge is considered to be the most important historic bridge in the City of Boston due to its prominent location over the Charles River and outstanding visual and architectural quality. The primary aim of the rehabilitation project was to address the bridge's structural deficiencies, upgrade its capacity and bring it up to date with modern codes while also preserving its visual and historic architectural character. A significant portion of the restoration work lay with dismantling, cleaning, restoring, and re-erecting the 58-foot-tall towers that frame the river's navigation channel, which had settled over time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jacques|first=Kiley|title=The Reconstruction of Longfellow Bridge|url=https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/projects/longfellow-bridge|access-date=2021-05-17|website=Traditional Building|date=17 March 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>

The Longfellow Bridge Restoration and Rehabilitation project was scheduled for completion in 2016, but the completion date was extended to December 2018, due in part to historic restoration requiring obsolete construction techniques such as [[riveting]].<ref name="Dungca">{{cite news|last1=Dungca|first1=Nicole|title=Longfellow Bridge construction extended until late 2018|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-delayed-two-years/9m7OpQrAIpV6B2IF9mlegL/story.html|access-date=2016-01-22|work=The Boston Globe|date=July 29, 2015}}</ref> In August 2016, the outbound side of the bridge was completely closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, in order to complete work sooner. This measure was undertaken to allow the bridge to be fully reopened by June 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dungca|first1=Nichole|title=Rebuilt Longfellow Bridge may reopen by June 2018|date=August 31, 2016|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/08/31/longfellow-bridge-now-expected-open-june/uZH4Bdp5ioYBVqsrnQlk0O/story.html|website=Boston Globe|publisher=Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC |access-date=23 September 2016}}</ref> After years of delays, the bridge was fully reopened on May 31, 2018,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/cars/commute/2018/05/31/longfellow-bridge-photos |title=5 photos of the Longfellow Bridge, which has reopened after years of construction |first=Lauren |last=Frias |website=[[Boston.com]] |date=May 31, 2018 |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> but portions of the project, such as replacing the pedestrian footbridge over Storrow Drive, were completed by the fall of 2018. According to Jonathan L. Gulliver, MassDOT Highway Administrator, the total cost of the rebuilding project was $306.6 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vaccaro |first=Adam |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/05/30/after-years-reconstruction-longfellow-bridge-reopens-thursday/zmyS7hxc9LHAP55tklUR6L/story.html |title=After years of reconstruction, Longfellow Bridge reopened 5 a.m. Thursday |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=2018-05-31 |access-date=2018-06-01 }}</ref> After a settlement with its contractors, the state paid $305.5 million on a budgeted cost of $303.7 million, which had included cost overruns.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/09/17/final-cost-longfellow-bridge-project-tad-overbudget/YyKhLhhRr34EDN9QX759VJ/story.html |title=Final cost of Longfellow Bridge project a tad overbudget |author=Adam Vaccaro |date=17 September 2018}}</ref>
{{Clear}}
{{wide image|Longfellow-Cambridgeside.jpg|2300px|align-cap=center|View of the Longfellow Bridge from [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|East Cambridge]] in 2008||center|}}

==See also==
*[[List of bridges documented by the Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book| author2 = Cambridge Bridge Commission| last1 = Jackson| first1 = William| author-link1 = William Jackson (engineer)| title = Report of the Cambridge bridge commission and report of the chief engineer upon the construction of Cambridge bridge| publisher = City of Boston Printing Department| year = 1909| ol = 7015322M}}
* {{cite journal| last = Freeman| first = Dale H.| title = A changing bridge for changing times : the history of the West Boston Bridge, 1793-1907 ; a thesis| journal = Graduate Masters Theses| url= http://scholarworks.umb.edu/masters_theses/1/ | publisher = [[University of Massachusetts Boston]]| year = 2000| asin = B0006RH37A }}
* {{cite web |url=https://www.mit.edu/~susannes/pdf_files/CharlesCircle.pdf |title=Lookin' Good, Feelin' Good: the transformation of Charles Circle |access-date=2008-09-12 |author=Seitinger, Susanne |year=2002 }}
* {{cite news |title=Linking cities and eras |first=Eric |last=Moskowitz |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/07/25/linking_cities_and_eras/ |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=July 25, 2010 |pages=1–4 |access-date=August 7, 2010 }}
* {{cite news |title=First Class: The Winners of the 2019 Richard H. Driehaus Foundation National Preservation Awards |first=Chris |last=Warren |url=https://savingplaces.org/stories/first-class-the-winners-of-the-2019-richard-h-driehaus-foundation-national-preservation-awards#.XZ-RJOdKi7N |publisher=[[National Trust for Historic Preservation]] |date=October 8, 2019}}
* {{cite news |title=Longfellow Bridge Receives 'Most Important Historic Preservation Award' in U.S.|first=Dan |last=Murphy |url=https://beaconhilltimes.com/2019/10/18/longfellow-bridge-receives-most-important-historic-preservation-award-in-u-s/|newspaper=Beacon Hill Times|pages=1 |date=October 17, 2019}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
*{{Structurae|id=20005824|title=Longfellow Bridge}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080512092322/http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/3219/ "The Bridge", poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]
*{{HAER |survey=MA-47 |id=ma1225 |title=Longfellow Bridge, Spanning Charles River at Main Street, Boston, Suffolk County, MA |photos=4 |data=2 |cap=1}}

===Closures===
* {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2006/01/22/longfellow_bridge_lane_to_close/|title=Longfellow Bridge lane to close|date=January 22, 2006|publisher=The Boston Globe | first=Mac | last=Daniel}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/06/defects_leads_to_closure_of_a_longfellow_bridge_sidewalk/ |title=Defects lead to closure of a Longfellow Bridge sidewalk |date=June 6, 2008 |publisher=The Boston Globe |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611060942/http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/06/defects_leads_to_closure_of_a_longfellow_bridge_sidewalk/ |archive-date=June 11, 2008 }}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/07/longfellow_bridge_is_off_limits_july_4th/|title=Longfellow Bridge is off-limits July 4th|date=June 7, 2008|publisher=The Boston Globe | first=Stephanie | last=Ebbert}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2008/06/28/two_lanes_closed_on_longfellow_bridge/|title=Two lanes closed on Longfellow Bridge|date=June 26, 2008|publisher=The Boston Globe | first=Stephanie | last=Ebbert}}

===Restoration===
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110410020702/http://www.mhd.state.ma.us/ProjectInfo/Main.asp?ACTION=ViewProject&PROJECT_NO=604361 Longfellow Bridge project page]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130328060558/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx Restoration of the Longfellow Bridge]

{{Crossings navbox
|structure        = [[List of crossings of the Charles River|Crossings]]
|place            = [[Charles River]]
|bridge           = Longfellow Bridge
|bridge signs     = [[Image:MA Route 3.svg|20px]]
|upstream         = [[Harvard Bridge]]
|upstream signs   = [[Image:MA Route 2A.svg|20px]]
|downstream       = [[Charles River Dam Bridge]]
|downstream signs = [[Image:MA Route 28.svg|20px]]
}}
{{Henry Wadsworth Longfellow}}
{{Portal bar|Engineering|Transport}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bridges in Boston]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1793]]
[[Category:Bridges completed in 1906]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Historic American Engineering Record in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Beacon Hill, Boston]]
[[Category:Landmarks in Cambridge, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Red Line (MBTA)]]
[[Category:Road-rail bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Road bridges in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Railroad bridges in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Towers in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Beacon Hill, Boston]]
[[Category:West End, Boston]]
[[Category:Bridges in Middlesex County, Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Former toll bridges in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Bridges over the Charles River]]
[[Category:Arch bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:Steel bridges in the United States]]
[[Category:1906 establishments in Massachusetts]]