Long Island Bridge

Long Island Bridge
Remains of the bridge in 2017
Coordinates 42°19′N 70°59′W / 42.31°N 70.98°W / 42.31; -70.98Coordinates: 42°19′N 70°59′W / 42.31°N 70.98°W / 42.31; -70.98
Crosses Boston Harbor
Locale Boston, Massachusetts and Quincy, Massachusetts
Other name(s) Long Island Viaduct
Owner City of Boston[1]
Characteristics
Design Warren truss
Material Steel, concrete and rebar
Total length 3,450 ft (1,051.6 m)[2]
Width 30.0 ft
History
Designer Crandall Engineering Company[2]
Constructed by Bethlehem Steel Corporation
Construction start 1950
Construction end 1951
Opened August 4, 1951 (1951-08-04)
Closed October 8, 2014 (2014-10-09)
(demolished 2015)
Replaces Ferry service

The Long Island Bridge, sometimes referred to as the Long Island Viaduct, was a bridge in Boston, Massachusetts that connected Long Island to Moon Island. Both islands are located in Boston Harbor and are connected to the mainland via a causeway from Moon Island to the Squantum neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts. Constructed at a cost of $2,000,000, the bridge was opened on August 4, 1951.[3] Before the bridge was opened, Long Island was accessible only by the ferry James M. Curley. The bridge was built to provide better access to Long Island Hospital, a public facility serving 1,200 chronically ill patients. After the hospital's closure, the bridge provided access to other city facilities on the island, including a homeless shelter, programs for patients with substance abuse problems, and a fire station.

Closure

In October 2014, all access to Long Island was cut off for the indefinite future since the then Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, took the warning of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about the condition of the Long Island Bridge being unsafe. All those living on Long Island and being serviced by recovery programs or as guests in the homeless shelter were no longer able to go there or use it for services. They were abruptly relocated elsewhere on an emergency basis.[4][5]

Demolition

In January 2015, demolition of the bridge began with the central span section being removed and ferried away in February.[6][7] In a series of controlled demolitions, the remainder of the bridge was destroyed in March and April.

Future

On April 10th, 2018, Mayor Martin J. Walsh has committed $92 million to rebuild the Long Island bridge over the next three years, according to a city spending proposal he unveiled Monday, keeping to his plan for providing addiction recovery services on the harbor island in spite of local opposition. The mayor has devoted $50 million in funding under the city’s capital plan in the fiscal-year budget that begins July 1, according to city records. The mayor had already reserved $12 million in a previous capital plan, and the city set aside another $30 million from a parking meter fund when the mayor announced plans for the bridge restoration during his inaugural address in January. The mayor ordered an emergency evacuation of the island and the closure of the aging bridge in 2014 due to safety concerns, forcing the relocation of hundreds of homeless people and others in recovery programs. The mayor has vowed to rebuild the bridge despite opposition from residents in Quincy, which vehicles must pass through to reach it. [8]

References

  1. ↑ Abel, David; Crimaldi, Laura (9 October 2014). "Harbor bridge closing brings hunt for new shelters, services". Boston Globe. Retrieved 11 October 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Long Island Bridge Bids to Be Accepted in About Two Weeks". The Boston Globe. 25 February 1950. p. 9.
  3. ↑ "Mayor Hynes Snips Ribbon, Opening Long Island Viaduct: $2,000,000 Bridge in Quincy Called Longest of Its Kind in United States". The Boston Globe. 5 August 1951. p. C26.
  4. ↑ "Mayor Walsh provides update on the Long Island Bridge". The Official Website of the City of Boston. 2014-11-26. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  5. ↑ Caesar, Chris (2014-10-08). "Boston Homeless Shelter Evacuated Following Bridge Inspection - Boston.com". Boston.com. Boston.com. Retrieved 2014-10-09.
  6. ↑ McMahon, Shannon (2015-01-05). "Boston Begins Long Island Bridge Demolition - Boston.com". Boston.com. 2015-01-05.
  7. ↑ Finucane, Martin. (2015-02-25). "Portion of ailing Long Island Bridge is removed - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
  8. ↑ Valencia, Milton (2018-04-10). "Walsh commits $50 million to Long Island bridge in new budget - The Boston Globe". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2018-05-02.

Coordinates: 42°18′30.28″N 70°58′55.10″W / 42.3084111°N 70.9819722°W / 42.3084111; -70.9819722

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