List of crossings of the Charles River

This is a list of the crossings of the Charles River from its mouth at Boston Harbor upstream to its source at Echo Lake (the four tunnels crossing the inner portion of Boston Harbor are not included). All locations are in Massachusetts.

Five bridges over the Charles River are visible in this photograph; in order from front to back, they are the Old Charles River Dam, Lechmere Viaduct, Commuter Rail Bridge, Zakim Bridge, and New Charles River Dam.

Crossings
This transport-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.
Crossing Carries Location Built Length Notes Coordinates Image
Charlestown Bridge Route 99(N. Washington St) Boston to Charlestown 1900 331.9 meters (1,089 ft)[1] The MBTA Orange Line used this bridge, before the upstream tunnel was completed in 1975.

Site of a ferry established in 1630;[2] obsoleted by the Charles River Bridge, built 1786

 42°22′08″N 71°03′36″W
(New) Charles River Dam pedestrians and bicycles 1978 Fish ladder, pumps and three locks for navigation.

Site of the Warren Bridge, built 1828, demolished 1962.

 42°22′07″N 71°03′41.10″W
Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge I‑93 / US 1 2003 442.2 meters (1,451 ft)[1] Replaced Charlestown High Bridge, built 1956, demolished 2004 42°22′08″N 71°03′49″W
Haymarket North Extension tunnel MBTA Orange Line 1975
Leverett Circle Connector Bridge Boston to Cambridge 1999 253 meters (830 ft)[1] 42°22′08″N 71°03′52″W
MBTA Commuter Rail Charles River Bridge MBTA Commuter Rail at North Station 1931 Bascule drawbridge

Site of Boston and Lowell Railroad Charles River Bridge, built 1835, first movable railroad bridge in the United States[3]

 42°22′8.29″N 71°03′54.96″W
MBTA Green Line Lechmere Viaduct MBTA Green Line 1912 42°22′2.32″N 71°04′8.29″W
(Old) Charles River Dam Bridge Route 28 1910 25 meters (82 ft)[1] The Boston Museum of Science is located on this bridge 42°22′01.66″N 71°04′08.87″W
Longfellow Bridge Route 3
MBTA Red Line		 1907 650.7 meters (2,135 ft)[1] MBTA Red Line in median; built in 1907 as the Cambridge Bridge, renamed for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in 1927.

Site of West Boston Bridge, built 1793

 42°21′41″N 71°04′32″W
Harvard Bridge Route 2A (Massachusetts Avenue) 1891, 1909 (rebuilt), 1924 (overhaul), 1990 (rebuilt) 659.9 meters (2,165 ft)[1] Longest bridge over the Charles. Northern terminus at MIT, not Harvard University. 42°21′15″N 71°05′28″W
Boston University Bridge Route 2 1927 built as the Cottage Farm Bridge, renamed in 1949 42°21′09.12″N 71°06′38.26″W
Grand Junction Railroad Bridge MBTA Grand Junction Branch crosses the river under the Boston University Bridge 42°21′09.69″N 71°06′36.72″W
River Street Bridge carries Cambridge Street in Boston on half of the bridge 1926 42°21′41″N 71°07′00″W
Western Avenue Bridge 1924 85.3 meters (280 ft)[1] 42°21′51.25″N 71°07′01.13″W
John W. Weeks Bridge pedestrians 1926 the only footbridge across the basin, with a Harvard campus steam tunnel inside 42°22′6.63″N 71°07′05.26″W
Anderson Memorial Bridge N. Harvard Street/JFK Street 1912 70.7 meters (232 ft)[1] A memorial to Nicholas Longworth Anderson donated by his son Larz Anderson

Site of a ferry established 1635 at the foot of Dunster Street in Cambridge, at canal/creek;[4] obsoleted by Great Bridge,[5] built 1662, rebuilt 1862

 42°22′08″N 71°07′23″W
Eliot Bridge 1950 91.4 meters (300 ft)[1] a memorial to Charles W. Eliot, Harvard president 1869–1909, and his son Charles Eliot, landscape architect for the Metropolitan Park Commission 42°22′18″N 71°07′59″W
Arsenal Street Bridge Brighton to Watertown 1925 61.9 meters (203 ft)[1] 42°21′42″N 71°08′50″W
North Beacon Street Bridge US 20 1917 62.5 meters (205 ft)[1] 42°21′32″N 71°09′42″W
Watertown Bridge Route 16 (Galen Street) Watertown about 1907 27.4 meters (90 ft)[1] 42°21′53″N 71°11′08″W
Watertown Dam no crossing 1900 42°21′55.27″N 71°11′21.34″W
Cpl. Joseph U. Thompson Footbridge pedestrians and bicycles Demolished 2017[6] 42°21′54.39″N 71°11′24.97″W
Cpl. Joseph U. Thompson Footbridge (new) 2018 Replaced old span
Bridge Street Bridge Newton to Watertown 29.3 meters (96 ft)[1] 42°21′56.87″N 71°12′15.96″W
Bemis Dam (breached) 1821[7] breached 1944 42°21′56.58″N 71°12′17.92″W
Blue Heron Footbridge Charles River Bike Path 2005 42°21′53.33″N 71°12′45.85″W
Farwell Street Bridge Waltham 33.4 meters (110 ft)[1] 42°22′1.3″N 71°13′5.1″W
Bleachery Footbridge Former pedestrian bridge site, demolished 1960s. 42°22′8.2″N 71°13′20.4″W
Bleachery Dam No crossing 1794 originally Gore Paper Mill dam 42°22′8.83″N 71°13′22.74″W
Mary T. Early Footbridge 2004 formerly Calvary Street Footbridge 42°22′10.74″N 71°13′25.94″W
Boston & Maine Railroad trestle (abandoned) abandoned Watertown Branch Railroad Demolished in 2016 42°22′11.11″N 71°13′26.29″W
Charles F. Graceffa Bridge Newton Street 1877 27.4 meters (90 ft)[1] 42°22′21.10″N 71°13′43.51″W
Elm Street Bridge 71.9 meters (236 ft)[1] 42°22′22.87″N 71°13′57.19″W
Boston & Maine Railroad trestle (abandoned) abandoned Watertown Branch Demolished in 2015 42°22′22.21″N 71°13′59.12″W
Richard Landry Park footbridge 1978 42°22′20.59″N 71°14′5.95″W
Waltham Dam or Moody Street Dam 1836 original Eden Vale dam built 1785 42°22′22.87″N 71°14′10.24″W
Moody Street bridge 1946 68.6 meters (225 ft)[1] original built 1846, rebuilt 1871, 1921 42°22′23.61″N 71°14′11.63″W
Gold Star Mothers Bridge 1889 40.2 meters (132 ft)[1] Carries Prospect Street; drawbridge 1882 42°22′7.91″N 71°14′36.93″W
Commonwealth Avenue/South Avenue Bridge Route 30 Newton to Weston site of old Norumbega Bridge 42°20′38.27″N 71°15′41.01″W
I-90/I-95 connector I‑90 / I‑95 original Mass Pike terminus until 1964 42°20′29.76″N 71°15′42.51″W
Massachusetts Turnpike Boston Extension (Interstate 90) I‑90 316.1 meters (1,037 ft)[1] 42°20′27.53″N 71°15′39.42″W
I-90/I-95 connector I‑90 / I‑95 42°20′27.62″N 71°15′34.98″W
Footbridge from Riverside Rd., Newton to Recreation Rd., Weston pedestrians - not suitable for bicycles due to bad condition 42°20′28.36″N 71°15′29.73″W
Road bridge from Riverside Rd., Newton to Recreation Rd., Weston demolished 1960s around time of Massachusetts Turnpike Extension 42°20′28.36″N 71°15′29.73″W
CSX/MBTA railroad bridge Framingham/Worcester Line impressive single-arch concrete span 42°20′26.45″N 71°15′25.44″W
Riverside Park Footbridge pedestrians - accessible from Riverside Park off Recreation Rd., Weston 42°20′24.16″N 71°15′21.39″W
I-95 offramp 180.4 meters (592 ft)[1] northbound exits 23–25; originally Route 128 until 1964 42°20′15.466″N 71°15′26.56″W
I‑95 / Route 128 I‑95 / Route 128 93.6 meters (307 ft)[1] 42°20′11.83″N 71°15′31.04″W
Concord Street/Park Road bridge 24.7 meters (81 ft)[1] 42°19′50.04″N 71°16′4.53″W
Leo J. Martin Golf Club Footbridge Newton to Wellesley 42°19′42.16″N 71°16′12.29″W
Newton–Wellesley Lower Falls Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge rebuilt 2012[8] formerly abandoned Boston & Albany RR Newton Lower Falls Branch bridge 42°19′36.34″N 71°15′40.58″W
Washington Street Bridge Route 16 43 meters (141 ft)[1] 42°19′31.15″N 71°15′30.07″W
Finlay Dam 42°19′31.74″N 71°15′15.78″W
Cordingly Dam and Falls 42°19′31.6″N 71°15′15.8″W
Mary Hunnewell Fyffe Footbridge 1983[9] Previous bridges built in 1909 and before 1906[9] 42°19′33″N 71°15′16″W
Wales Street/Walnut Street Bridge 17.9 meters (59 ft)[1] 42°19′36.39″N 71°15′11.42″W
Cochituate Aqueduct Closed. 1848 42°19′27.48″N 71°14′59.95″W
I‑95 / Route 128 I‑95 / Route 128 42°19′25.09″N 71°14′57.36″W
Boston-Worcester Turnpike Bridge Route 9 23.2 meters (76 ft)[1] 42°19′00.5″N 71°13′41.2″W
Metropolitan Circular Dam No crossing. 2010s replacement for older dam 42°18′59.6″N 71°13′41.1″W
Echo Bridge pedestrians, bicycles, and the Sudbury Aqueduct Newton to Needham 1876 42°18′53.13″N 71°13′37.17″W
Silk Mill Dam No crossing. 42°18′49.76″N 71°13′34.82″W
Elliot Street/Central Avenue Bridge 42°18′44.30″N 71°13′37.37″W
rail bridge Closed. Formerly carried the Charles River Railroad 42°18′26.08″N 71°13′26.32″W
Needham Street Bridge Needham Street, Newton / Highland Avenue, Needham 1875 27.7 meters (91 ft)[1] 42°18′23.51″N 71°13′1.02″W
rail bridge Closed. 42°18′21.65″N 71°12′46.73″W
Kendrick Street/Nahanton Street Bridge 49.4 meters (162 ft)[1] 42°17′49.57″N 71°12′28.12″W
MBTA Commuter Rail Needham Line bridge West Roxbury to Needham 42°16′46.17″N 71°11′6.89″W
Honorable Robert L. Cawley Bridge Route 109

Bridge Street, Dedham / Spring Street, West Roxbury

 West Roxbury to Dedham 21.3 meters (70 ft)[1] 42°16′15.02″N 71°10′23.90″W
Ames Street Bridge[lower-alpha 1] Dedham 35.7 meters (117 ft)[1] 42°15′8.61″N 71°10′34.37″W
Bridge Street Bridge Route 109 21.3 meters (70 ft)[1] 42°15′14.85″N 71°10′51.60″W
Interstate 95/Route 128 I‑95 / Route 128 Needham to Dedham 98.5 meters (323 ft) (SB)
89 meters (292 ft)[1] (NB)[1]		 42°16′1.96″N 71°12′10.20″W
Between exits 17 & 18 on I-95
Greendale Avenue/Lyons Street Bridge 17.1 meters (56 ft)[1] 42°16′1.33″N 71°12′17.42″W
Route 135/West Street/Dedham Avenue Bridge Route 135 17.1 meters (56 ft)[1] 42°16′3.67″N 71°13′4.89″W
Chestnut Street Bridge Needham to Dover 33.8 meters (111 ft)[1] 42°15′35.40″N 71°14′13.48″W
dam No crossing. A USGS flow gauge is located here. 42°15′22.7″N 71°15′34.8″W
dam No crossing. 42°15′31″N 71°15′46.8″W
Willow Street/South Street Bridge 17 meters (56 ft)[1] 42°15′32.66″N 71°15′47.26″W
rail bridge Closed. Formerly carried the Charles River Railroad 42°15′26.97″N 71°16′14.26″W
Central Ave/Centre Street Bridge 20.7 meters (68 ft)[1] 42°15′32.37″N 71°16′17.31″W
missing bridge? 42°15′48.07″N 71°17′5.55″W
Dover Road/Charles River Street Bridge 38.6 meters (127 ft)[1] 42°16′9.50″N 71°17′59.43″W
Cheney Drive Bridge 19.5 meters (64 ft)[1] Access road to Elm Bank Reservation. 42°16′32.68″N 71°18′34.38″W
Water Street Bridge No longer extant. South Natick 42°16′13.8″N 71°18′31.3″W
Pleasant Street Bridge 34.4 meters (113 ft)[1] 42°16′18.13″N 71°18′54.52″W
South Natick Dam 42°16′17.27″N 71°18′56.57″W
Sargent Bridge No public access. 42.26696°N 71.32112°W / 42.26696; -71.32112 (pedestrian crossing)
Farm Road/Bridge Street Bridge Sherborn to Dover 42°13′57.45″N 71°19′48.67″W
rail bridge CSX Mansfield Secondary Sherborn to Medfield 42°12′53.43″N 71°20′53.79″W
South Main Street/North Meadows Road Bridge Route 27 (Hospital Road) 21.9 meters (72 ft)[1] 42°12′35.98″N 71°21′6.23″W
former bridge? 42°12′28.00″N 71°21′7.20″W
rail bridge Medfield to Millis 42°11′18.38″N 71°20′3.54″W
Dover Road Bridge Bridge site going back to 1640s, including one burnt by Native Americans during King Philip's War in 1675. 42°11′19.41″N 71°19′59.76″W
Turner Bridge (Main Street Bridge) Route 109 20.1 meters (66 ft)[1] 42°10′52″N 71°19′21.52″W
Dwight's Bridge Dwight Street Millis to Medfield Over the Charles River off Causeway Street on Dwight Street. This was so named and built so Timothy Dwight could get to land he owned in the area. This bridge was washed out in the Great 1936 Flood and never rebuilt.[11] 42°10′24.8″N 71°19′23.3″W
Forest Road/Orchard Street Bridge 17.7 meters (58 ft)[1] 42°9′28.26″N 71°19′55.43″W
Norfolk Road Bridge Route 115 Millis 21.9 meters (72 ft)[1] 42°8′35.80″N 71°20′57.42″W
Dean Street/Pleasant Street Bridge 42°8′17.64″N 71°21′31.08″W
Myrtle Street bridge 22.1 meters (73 ft)[1] 42°8′0.63″N 71°21′42.86″W
Walker Street Bridge Medway 24.4 meters (80 ft)[1] 42°8′24.32″N 71°23′22.39″W
Sanford Street Bridge Medway to Franklin 42°8′17.96″N 71°23′54″W
Sanford Mill Dam 42°8′19.2″N 71°23′55.4″W
Shaw Street/Elm Street Bridge 42°8′11.40″N 71°25′6.72″W
Woodland Park Bridge 42°8′19.39″N 71°25′18.92″W
dam No crossing. 42°8′20.62″N 71°25′27.07″W
Franklin Street/Pond Street Bridge 10.1 meters (33 ft)[1] 42°8′17.36″N 71°25′51.87″W
Pearl Street Bridge Bellingham 20.5 meters (67 ft)[1] 42°7′51.52″N 71°26′38.53″W
Plymouth Road Bridge 12.5 meters (41 ft)[1] 42°7′22.07″N 71°26′51.69″W
Maple Street Bridge 12.2 meters (40 ft)[1] 42°7′10.32″N 71°27′12.35″W
Maple Street Dam 42°7′8.6″N 71°27′15.2″W
I-495 bridge I‑495 10.1 meters (33 ft)[1] 42°06′27″N 71°27′30″W
High Street Bridge 10.7 meters (35 ft)[1] 42°5′50.69″N 71°27′33.07″W
footbridge Onetime road bridge site 42°5′22.91″N 71°28′13.16″W
North Main Street Bridge Route 126 9.4 meters (31 ft)[1] 42°05′39″N 71°28′34″W
rail bridge 42°5′39.54″N 71°28′50.71″W
Depot Street Bridge 16.5 meters (54 ft)[1] 42°5′38.39″N 71°28′55.65″W
Hartford Avenue Bridge Bellingham to Mendon/Hopedale 42°6′12.41″N 71°29′59.19″W
rail bridge Bellingham to Hopedale 42°06′41.8″N 71°30′4.9″W
Mellen Street Bridge and Dam Bellingham to Hopedale 42°07′0.8″N 71°30′5″W
Howard Street Bridge Hopedale to Milford 42°07′5.30″N 71°30′17.88″W
rail bridge 42°7′7.22″N 71°30′20.97″W
Howard Street Bridge Milford 42°07′32″N 71°30′33″W
rail bridge 42°7′36.9″N 71°30′33.9″W
Central Street Bridge 42°08′21″N 71°30′45″W
Main Street Culvert Route 16 42°08′37″N 71°30′47″W
Milford Pond Dam and Footbridge 42°08′50.9″N 71°30′49.2″W
Dilla Street Bridge 42°09′41″N 71°30′43″W
Dilla Street Dam 42°09′41.3″N 71°30′41.8″W
old road bridge 42°09′52.3″N 71°30′38.7″W
culvert Upper Charles Trail 42°09′52.4″N 71°30′38.9″W
I-495 culvert (Exit 20) I‑495 42°10′04″N 71°30′41″W
Wildcat Pond Bridge and Dam Private road 42°7′8.6″N 71°27′15.2″W
footbridge 42°10′22.3″N 71°30′34.3″W
bridge Upper Charles River Trail 42°10′25.7″N 71°30′30.6″W
Route 85 bridge Route 85 42°10′26″N 71°30′30″W
footbridge 42°10′43.7″N 71°30′21.7″W
bridge Upper Charles River Trail 42°10′44.1″N 71°30′22.1″W
footbridge 42°10′52.5″N 71°30′19.7″W
footbridge 42°10′54.8″N 71°30′20.8″W
Route 85 bridge Route 85 42°10′55″N 71°30′22″W
Echo Lake Dam No crossing. Hopkinton 42°11′32″N 71°30′28.7″W

Source: Echo Lake 42.193012°N 71.5119°W / 42.193012; -71.5119 (Echo Lake (river source))

See also

Notes
  1. A footbridge was first built in this location in 1640 by William Bullard and John Eaton. It was the first crossing in Dedham.[10]

References
  1. Massachusetts Bridges Spanning the Charles River. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDoT).
  2. "Some Events Around Boston". Kellscraft.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  3. "HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD - Boston & Maine Railroad: Charles River Bridges - MA-22". Retrieved March 4, 2014.
  4. "Publications - Cambridge Historical Society (Mass.) - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  5. Paige, Lucius Robinson (1877). History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630–1877: With a Genealogical Register. Hurd and Houghton. p. 195. Retrieved August 4, 2008.
  6. "DCR Recreational Advisory: Joseph Thompson Pedestrian Bridge in Watertown".
  7. "The Bemis Dam: A forgotten Link to Our Industrial Past". Historic Newton. City of Newton. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  8. "Newton Lower Falls bridge". Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force. July 31, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  9. "Mary Hunnewell Fyffe Footbridge". Newton Conservators. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. Alden, John Eaton; Eaton, Daniel Cady (1900). Eaton Family of Dedham and the Powder House Rock. p. 16. Retrieved November 17, 2019.
  11. "DeSorgher: Cross That Bridge When You Get to It". Medfield, MA Patch. January 6, 2012. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
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