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MBTA - Lechmere Viaduct

Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and Suffolk County, Massachusetts

Photos 

Green Line crossing Lechmere Viaduct

Inbound train entering the former draw span over the Charles River channel.

Photo by Ian Martin

View this photo on Flickr

BH Photo #289174

Map 

Street Views 

Facts 

Overview
Closed-spandrel arch bridge over Charles River, Museum Way, and Charlestown Avenue on MBTA Green Line
Location
Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and Suffolk County, Massachusetts
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1910; Rehabilitated in-kind as part of Green Line Extension 2019-2022
Builders
- George A. Kimball (Chief Engr. of Elevated & Subway Construction, BERy)
- Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corp. of Boston, Massachusetts (contractor)
- Strauss Bascule Bridge Co. of Chicago, Illinois
Railroads
- Boston Elevated Railway (BERy)
- Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA)
- Rapid Transit
Design
South to North: Two concrete arches, deck plate girder double-leaf draw span (no longer operational), eight concrete arches, one concrete beam span over Charlestown Ave.
Dimensions
Total length: 1,700.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.36784, -71.06999   (decimal degrees)
42°22'04" N, 71°04'12" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
19/329555/4692694 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Boston South
Inventory numbers
MassDOT B16013/C01019
BH 61905 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Arch (12,881)
Bascule (1,108)
Beam (17,378)
Boston Elevated Railway (6)
Built 1910 (1,248)
Built during 1910s (10,242)
Cambridge, Massachusetts (14)
Charles River (54)
Closed-spandrel arch (4,347)
Concrete stringer (888)
Deck arch (12,097)
Deck girder (6,621)
Former moveable bridge (28)
George A. Kimball (1)
Girder (11,665)
Have street view (30,434)
 Holbrook, Cabot & Rollins Corp. (6)
Massachusetts (1,255)
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (129)
Middlesex County, Massachusetts (259)
Movable (3,191)
Open (41,452)
Owned by state (16,770)
Plate girder (9,179)
Preserved (1,249)
Railroad (17,006)
Rapid Transit (115)
Ribbed closed-spandrel arch (30)
Strauss Bascule Bridge Co. (178)
Strauss Underneath Counterweight Bascule (52)
Suffolk County, Massachusetts (130)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (2,049)

Update Log 

  • April 21, 2022: Updated by Nick Boppel: Structure has been reopened following an in-kind rehab as part of GLX
  • January 19, 2022: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • October 5, 2020: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • September 7, 2020: Updated by Nick Boppel: Bridge is closed for rehabilitation
  • December 1, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • January 26, 2015: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • July 24, 2014: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • July 24, 2014: New Street View added by Ian Martin

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Lechmere Viaduct
Posted July 24, 2014, by Douglas Butler

This former rail drawbridge is of the Strauss Underneath Counterweight bascule trunnion bridge constructed by the Strauss Bascule Bridge Company formerly used by the Boston Elevated Railroad.