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Hall-Whitaker Bridge

Essex County, Massachusetts

Photo 

Bridge Street Bridge

Closed for highway traffic

Photo taken by Douglas Butler in May 2014

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View this photo on Flickr

BH Photo #283206

Map 

Street View 

Facts 

Overview
Swing bridge over Bass River on Bridge Street in Beverly
Location
Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts
Status
Intact but closed to all traffic
Future prospects
Bridge indefinitely closed in 2020 and scheduled for demolition and replacement at an unknown time
History
Built 1929; Closed 2020
Design
Through plate girder swing bridge
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 152.9 ft.
Total length: 269.0 ft.
Deck width: 32.2 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.54917, -70.88806   (decimal degrees)
42°32'57" N, 70°53'17" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
19/344984/4712479 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Salem
Average daily traffic (as of 2018)
21,300
Inventory numbers
MA B11001 (Massachusetts bridge number)
BH 19232 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Inspection report (as of November 2018)
Overall condition: Poor
Superstructure condition rating: Poor (4 out of 9)
Substructure condition rating: Serious (3 out of 9)
Deck condition rating: Fair (5 out of 9)
Sufficiency rating: 26.9 (out of 100)
View more at BridgeReports.com

Categories 

Beverly, Massachusetts (6)
Built 1929 (1,073)
Built during 1920s (10,350)
Closed (2,778)
Doomed (1,079)
Essex County, Massachusetts (137)
Girder (11,437)
Have street view (30,048)
 Massachusetts (1,227)
Movable (3,170)
Owned by state (16,703)
Span length 125-175 feet (4,547)
Steel grate deck (477)
Swing (1,604)
Through girder (4,303)
Total length 250-500 feet (5,643)

Update Log 

  • August 18, 2020: Updated by Nick Boppel: Bridge has been indefinitely closed and is at risk for demolition
  • May 5, 2014: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • May 3, 2014: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • June 12, 2012: New Street View added by Nathan Holth

Sources 

  • Nathan Holth
  • Douglas Butler
  • Nick Boppel - nickboppel01 [at] gmail [dot] com
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Comments 

Bridge Street Bridge / Hall-Whitaker Bridge
Posted October 7, 2013, by Ron (Rj0648 [at] comcast [dot] net)

The house I grew up in is across the Cove, from the Hall-Whitaker Bridge, which is the correct name for the Bridge St. Bridge. I still cruise the Bass River, and tide permitting go under the Bridge. The under structure of this Bridge appears to be in very poor condition. There is a solid steel tube, that appears to be almost the length of the Bridge, which appears to act as a driveshaft, to lift the support legs on either side of the Bridge. The shaft is extremely corroded in different sections, if it were strained in any way, I think it would twist and snap.

The State is constantly doing temporary repairs to the grated surface. The grates crack, and need constant attention, either welding or sections replaced. The last time this Bridge, was totally overhauled was around 1969. It was closed maybe a year or so to vehicle traffic. Pedestrians could walk over it, on the Sidewalks at the time.