Leverett Circle Connector Bridge

Leverett Circle Connector
Coordinates 42°22′09″N 71°03′53″W / 42.36909°N 71.06459°W / 42.36909; -71.06459Coordinates: 42°22′09″N 71°03′53″W / 42.36909°N 71.06459°W / 42.36909; -71.06459
Carries highway access ramp
Crosses Charles River
Locale Boston, Massachusetts to Somerville, Massachusetts
Characteristics
Design steel box girder bridge
History
Opened 1999-10-07

The Leverett Circle Connector Bridge is a highway bridge over the Charles River, carrying two lanes each of northbound and southbound traffic. It connects to Interstate 93 in Somerville, Massachusetts (the "Northern Expressway") at the north end (exit 26 from I-93 South) and splits at the south end, providing direct access to both Storrow Drive and Leverett Circle in Boston. Going northbound, there is also a fork which provides access to the City Square Tunnel under Charlestown to proceed on U.S. 1 North via the Tobin Bridge.

The span was built in conjunction with the more dramatic Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge as part of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, widely known as the Big Dig. During construction, the Leverett Circle Connector Bridge was sometimes called "Baby Bridge"[1]. The bridge opened for traffic on October 7, 1999,[2] at a cost of $22.27 million.[3]

Also known as the Storrow Drive Connector, it is the largest steel box girder bridge in the United States. It was the winner of a July 2001 National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) "prize bridge" Award.[4] Its weaving design was determined by the other major structures involved in the Big Dig but unlike other parts of the project, it was finished eight days ahead of schedule.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Howe, Peter J. (August 10, 1998). "Masterpiece or monster". Boston Globe. p. C3.
  2. ↑ Leonard P Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (I-93 and US 1)
  3. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-21. Retrieved 2008-12-05.
  4. ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20030506212922/http://www.aisc.org/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm?ContentID=1003
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