List of crossings of the Charles River

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.

"Charles River Bridge" redirects here; see below for the historic structures or Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge for the lawsuit.

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.

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	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 / 42.36889°N 71.06000°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 / 42.36861°N 71.0614167°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 / 42.36889°N 71.06361°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 / 42.36889°N 71.06444°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 / 42.3689694°N 71.0652667°W
MBTA Green Line Lechmere Viaduct	MBTA Green Line		1912			42°22′2.32″N 71°04′8.29″W / 42.3673111°N 71.0689694°W
(Old) Charles River Dam Bridge	Route 28		1910	25 meters (82 ft)[1]		42°22′01.66″N 71°04′08.87″W / 42.3671278°N 71.0691306°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 / 42.36139°N 71.07556°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 / 42.35417°N 71.09111°W
Boston University Bridge	Route 2		1928		built as the Cottage Farm Bridge, renamed in 1949	42°21′09.12″N 71°06′38.26″W / 42.3525333°N 71.1106278°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 / 42.3526917°N 71.1102000°W
River Street Bridge			1926			42°21′41″N 71°07′00″W / 42.36139°N 71.11667°W
Western Avenue Bridge			1924	85.3 meters (280 ft)[1]		42°21′51.25″N 71°07′01.13″W / 42.3642361°N 71.1169806°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 / 42.3685083°N 71.1181278°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 / 42.36889°N 71.12306°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 / 42.37167°N 71.13306°W
Arsenal Street Bridge		Brighton to Watertown	1925	61.9 meters (203 ft)[1]		42°21′42″N 71°08′50″W / 42.36167°N 71.14722°W
North Beacon Street Bridge	US 20		1917	62.5 meters (205 ft)[1]		42°21′32″N 71°09′42″W / 42.35889°N 71.16167°W
Watertown Bridge	Route 16 (Galen Street)	Watertown	about 1907	27.4 meters (90 ft)[1]		42°21′53″N 71°11′08″W / 42.36472°N 71.18556°W
Watertown Dam	no crossing		about 1634			42°21′55.27″N 71°11′21.34″W / 42.3653528°N 71.1892611°W
Cpl. Joseph U. Thompson Footbridge	pedestrians and bicycles					42°21′54.39″N 71°11′24.97″W / 42.3651083°N 71.1902694°W
Bridge Street		Newton to Watertown		29.3 meters (96 ft)[1]		42°21′56.87″N 71°12′15.96″W / 42.3657972°N 71.2044333°W
Bemis Dam (breached)			1821[6]		breached 1944	42°21′56.58″N 71°12′17.92″W / 42.3657167°N 71.2049778°W
Blue Heron Footbridge	Charles River Bike Path		2005			42°21′53.33″N 71°12′45.85″W / 42.3648139°N 71.2127361°W
Farwell Street		Waltham		33.4 meters (110 ft)[1]		42°22′51.47″N 71°13′5.12″W / 42.3809639°N 71.2180889°W
Bleachery Dam			1794		originally Gore Paper Mill dam	42°22′8.83″N 71°13′22.74″W / 42.3691194°N 71.2229833°W
Mary T. Early Footbridge					formerly Calvary Street Footbridge	42°22′10.74″N 71°13′25.94″W / 42.3696500°N 71.2238722°W
Boston & Maine Railroad trestle (abandoned)	abandoned Watertown Branch					42°22′11.11″N 71°13′26.29″W / 42.3697528°N 71.2239694°W
Charles F. Graceffa Bridge	Newton Street		(original built 1761)	27.4 meters (90 ft)[1]		42°22′21.10″N 71°13′43.51″W / 42.3725278°N 71.2287528°W
Elm Street Bridge				71.9 meters (236 ft)[1]		42°22′22.87″N 71°13′57.19″W / 42.3730194°N 71.2325528°W
Boston & Maine Railroad trestle (abandoned)	abandoned Watertown Branch					42°22′22.21″N 71°13′59.12″W / 42.3728361°N 71.2330889°W
Richard Landry Park footbridge			1978			42°22′20.59″N 71°14′5.95″W / 42.3723861°N 71.2349861°W
Waltham Dam or Moody Street Dam			1836		original Eden Vale dam built 1785	42°22′22.87″N 71°14′10.24″W / 42.3730194°N 71.2361778°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 / 42.3732250°N 71.2365639°W
Gold Star Mothers Bridge, Prospect Street			1889	40.2 meters (132 ft)[1]	drawbridge 1882	42°22′7.91″N 71°14′36.93″W / 42.3688639°N 71.2435917°W
Weston Aqueduct		Newton to Weston
Commonwealth Avenue, Newton / South Avenue, Weston	Route 30				site of old Norumbega Bridge	42°20′38.27″N 71°15′41.01″W / 42.3439639°N 71.2613917°W
MetroWest Tunnel (aqueduct)
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 / 42.3416000°N 71.2618083°W
Hultman Aqueduct
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 / 42.3409806°N 71.2609500°W
I-90/I-95 connector						42°20′27.62″N 71°15′34.98″W / 42.3410056°N 71.2597167°W
Footbridge from Riverside Rd., Newton to Recreation Rd., Weston (closed)						42°20′28.36″N 71°15′29.73″W / 42.3412111°N 71.2582583°W
CSX/MBTA railroad bridge	Framingham/Worcester Line				impressive single-arch concrete span	42°20′26.45″N 71°15′25.44″W / 42.3406806°N 71.2570667°W
footbridge						42°20′24.16″N 71°15′21.39″W / 42.3400444°N 71.2559417°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 / 42.33762944°N 71.2573778°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 / 42.3366194°N 71.2586222°W
Concord Street, Newton / Park Road, Weston				24.7 meters (81 ft)[1]		42°19′50.04″N 71°16′4.53″W / 42.3305667°N 71.2679250°W
Leo J. Martin Golf Club Footbridge		Newton to Wellesley				42°19′42.16″N 71°16′12.29″W / 42.3283778°N 71.2700806°W
Newton–Wellesley Lower Falls Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge			rebuilt 2012[7]		formerly abandoned Boston & Albany RR Newton Lower Falls Branch bridge	42°19′36.34″N 71°15′40.58″W / 42.3267611°N 71.2612722°W
Washington Street	Route 16			43 meters (141 ft)[1]		42°19′31.15″N 71°15′30.07″W / 42.3253194°N 71.2583528°W
Finlay Dam						42°19′31.74″N 71°15′15.78″W / 42.3254833°N 71.2543833°W
Cordingly Dam and Falls						42°19′32.91″N 71°15′15.28″W / 42.3258083°N 71.2542444°W
Mary Hunnewell Fyffe Footbridge			1983[8]		Previous bridges built in 1909 and before 1906[8]
Wales Street, Newton / Walnut Street, Wellesley				17.9 meters (59 ft)[1]		42°19′36.39″N 71°15′11.42″W / 42.3267750°N 71.2531722°W
Cochituate Aqueduct			1848			42°19′27.48″N 71°14′59.95″W / 42.3243000°N 71.2499861°W
I‑95 / Route 128	I‑95 / Route 128					42°19′25.09″N 71°14′57.36″W / 42.3236361°N 71.2492667°W
Boston-Worcester Turnpike	Route 9			23.2 meters (76 ft)[1]		42°19′00.5″N 71°13′41.2″W / 42.316806°N 71.228111°W
Metropolitan Circular Dam
Echo Bridge/Sudbury Aqueduct	pedestrians and bicycles		1876			42°18′53.13″N 71°13′37.17″W / 42.3147583°N 71.2269917°W
Silk Mill Dam						42°18′49.76″N 71°13′34.82″W / 42.3138222°N 71.2263389°W
Elliot Street, Newton / Central Avenue, Needham		Newton to Needham				42°18′44.30″N 71°13′37.37″W / 42.3123056°N 71.2270472°W
rail bridge (former Charles River Railroad)						42°18′26.08″N 71°13′26.32″W / 42.3072444°N 71.2239778°W
Needham Street Bridge	Needham Street, Newton / Highland Avenue, Needham			27.7 meters (91 ft)[1]		42°18′23.51″N 71°13′1.02″W / 42.3065306°N 71.2169500°W
rail bridge made pedestrian bridge						42°18′21.65″N 71°12′46.73″W / 42.3060139°N 71.2129806°W
Kendrick Street, Needham / Nahanton Street, Newton				49.4 meters (162 ft)[1]		42°17′49.57″N 71°12′28.12″W / 42.2971028°N 71.2078111°W
MBTA Commuter Rail Needham Line bridge		West Roxbury to Needham				42°16′46.17″N 71°11′6.89″W / 42.2794917°N 71.1852472°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 / 42.2708389°N 71.1733056°W
Ames Street		Dedham		35.7 meters (117 ft)[1]		42°15′8.61″N 71°10′34.37″W / 42.2523917°N 71.1762139°W
Bridge Street	Route 109			21.3 meters (70 ft)[1]		42°15′14.85″N 71°10′51.60″W / 42.2541250°N 71.1810000°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 / 42.2672111°N 71.2028333°W Between exits 17 & 18 on I-95
Greendale Avenue, Needham / Lyons Street, Dedham				17.1 meters (56 ft)[1]		42°16′1.33″N 71°12′17.42″W / 42.2670361°N 71.2048389°W
Route 135 / West Street, Dedham / Dedham Ave, Needham	Route 135			17.1 meters (56 ft)[1]		42°16′3.67″N 71°13′4.89″W / 42.2676861°N 71.2180250°W
Chestnut Street bridge		Needham to Dover		33.8 meters (111 ft)[1]		42°15′35.40″N 71°14′13.48″W / 42.2598333°N 71.2370778°W
dam						42°15′31″N 71°15′46.8″W / 42.25861°N 71.263000°W
Willow Street, Dover / South Street, Needham				17 meters (56 ft)[1]		42°15′32.66″N 71°15′47.26″W / 42.2590722°N 71.2631278°W
rail bridge (former Charles River Railroad)						42°15′26.97″N 71°16′14.26″W / 42.2574917°N 71.2706278°W
Central Ave/Centre Street bridge				20.7 meters (68 ft)[1]		42°15′32.37″N 71°16′17.31″W / 42.2589917°N 71.2714750°W
missing bridge?						42°15′48.07″N 71°17′5.55″W / 42.2633528°N 71.2848750°W
Dover Road/Charles River Street bridge				38.6 meters (127 ft)[1]		42°16′9.50″N 71°17′59.43″W / 42.2693056°N 71.2998417°W
Cheney Drive bridge				19.5 meters (64 ft)[1]		42°16′32.68″N 71°18′34.38″W / 42.2757444°N 71.3095500°W
Pleasant Street bridge		South Natick		34.4 meters (113 ft)[1]		42°16′18.13″N 71°18′54.52″W / 42.2717028°N 71.3151444°W
South Natick Dam						42°16′17.27″N 71°18′56.57″W / 42.2714639°N 71.3157139°W
pedestrian crossing						42°16′01″N 71°19′16″W / 42.26696°N 71.32112°W
Farm Road/Bridge Street bridge						42°13′57.45″N 71°19′48.67″W / 42.2326250°N 71.3301861°W
rail bridge	CSX Mansfield Secondary					42°12′53.43″N 71°20′53.79″W / 42.2148417°N 71.3482750°W
South Main Street/North Meadows Road bridge	Route 27 (Hospital Road)	Medfield		21.9 meters (72 ft)[1]		42°12′35.98″N 71°21′6.23″W / 42.2099944°N 71.3517306°W
former bridge?						42°12′28.00″N 71°21′7.20″W / 42.2077778°N 71.3520000°W
rail bridge		Medfield/Millis line				42°11′18.38″N 71°20′3.54″W / 42.1884389°N 71.3343167°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 / 42.1887250°N 71.3332667°W
Turner Bridge (Main Street bridge)	Route 109			20.1 meters (66 ft)[1]		42°10′52″N 71°19′21.52″W / 42.18111°N 71.3226444°W
Forest Road/Orchard Street bridge				17.7 meters (58 ft)[1]		42°9′28.26″N 71°19′55.43″W / 42.1578500°N 71.3320639°W
Norfolk Road bridge	Route 115	Millis/Norfolk line		21.9 meters (72 ft)[1]		42°8′35.80″N 71°20′57.42″W / 42.1432778°N 71.3492833°W
Dean Street/Pleasant Street bridge						42°8′17.64″N 71°21′31.08″W / 42.1382333°N 71.3586333°W
Myrtle Street bridge		Millis		22.1 meters (73 ft)[1]		42°8′0.63″N 71°21′42.86″W / 42.1335083°N 71.3619056°W
Walker Street bridge		Medway/Franklin line		24.4 meters (80 ft)[1]		42°8′24.32″N 71°23′22.39″W / 42.1400889°N 71.3895528°W
Sanford Street bridge						42°8′17.96″N 71°23′54″W / 42.1383222°N 71.39833°W
dam
Shaw Street/Elm Street bridge						42°8′11.40″N 71°25′6.72″W / 42.1365000°N 71.4185333°W
Woodland Park bridge						42°8′19.39″N 71°25′18.92″W / 42.1387194°N 71.4219222°W
dam						42°8′20.62″N 71°25′27.07″W / 42.1390611°N 71.4241861°W
Franklin Street / Pond Street bridge		Medway/Franklin line		10.1 meters (33 ft)[1]		42°8′17.36″N 71°25′51.87″W / 42.1381556°N 71.4310750°W
Pearl Street bridge		Bellingham		20.5 meters (67 ft)[1]		42°7′51.52″N 71°26′38.53″W / 42.1309778°N 71.4440361°W
Plymouth Road bridge				12.5 meters (41 ft)[1]		42°7′22.07″N 71°26′51.69″W / 42.1227972°N 71.4476917°W
Maple Street bridge				12.2 meters (40 ft)[1]		42°7′10.32″N 71°27′12.35″W / 42.1195333°N 71.4534306°W
I-495 bridge	I‑495			10.1 meters (33 ft)[1]		42°06′27″N 71°27′30″W / 42.10750°N 71.45833°W
High Street				10.7 meters (35 ft)[1]		42°5′50.69″N 71°27′33.07″W / 42.0974139°N 71.4591861°W
rail bridge (ruin?)						42°5′22.91″N 71°28′13.16″W / 42.0896972°N 71.4703222°W
North Main Street	Route 126			9.4 meters (31 ft)[1]		42°05′39″N 71°28′34″W / 42.09417°N 71.47611°W
rail bridge						42°5′39.54″N 71°28′50.71″W / 42.0943167°N 71.4807528°W
Depot Street				16.5 meters (54 ft)[1]		42°5′38.39″N 71°28′55.65″W / 42.0939972°N 71.4821250°W
Hartford Ave						42°6′12.41″N 71°29′59.19″W / 42.1034472°N 71.4997750°W
Mellon Street						42°07′0.8″N 71°30′5″W / 42.116889°N 71.50139°W
Howard Street						42°07′5.30″N 71°30′17.88″W / 42.1181389°N 71.5049667°W
rail bridge						42°7′7.22″N 71°30′20.97″W / 42.1186722°N 71.5058250°W
Howard Street		Milford				42°07′32″N 71°30′33″W / 42.12556°N 71.50917°W
Central Street						42°08′21″N 71°30′45″W / 42.13917°N 71.51250°W
Main Street	Route 16					42°08′37″N 71°30′47″W / 42.14361°N 71.51306°W
Dilla Street						42°09′41″N 71°30′43″W / 42.16139°N 71.51194°W
I-495 bridge (Exit 20)	I‑495					42°10′04″N 71°30′41″W / 42.16778°N 71.51139°W
Route 85 bridge	Route 85					42°10′26″N 71°30′30″W / 42.17389°N 71.50833°W
Route 85 bridge	Route 85					42°10′55″N 71°30′22″W / 42.18194°N 71.50611°W

Source: Echo Lake 42°11′35″N 71°30′43″W / 42.193012°N 71.5119°W

References

1. Massachusetts Bridges Spanning the Charles River. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDoT).
2. "Some Events Around Boston". Kellscraft.com. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
3. "HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING RECORD - Boston & Maine Railroad: Charles River Bridges - MA-22". Retrieved 2014-03-04.
4. "Publications - Cambridge Historical Society (Mass.) - Google Books". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2012-04-16.
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. "The Bemis Dam: A forgotten Link to Our Industrial Past". Historic Newton. City of Newton. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
7. "Newton Lower Falls bridge". Newton Bicycle/Pedestrian Task Force. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
8. "Mary Hunnewell Fyffe Footbridge". Newton Conservators. Retrieved 16 June 2014.

External links

• Map of local Charles River crossings – Harvard College Marathon Challenge website
• Articles on crossings and their conservation in Newton