Evelyn Moakley Bridge | |
|---|---|
 Partial view of Evelyn Moakley Bridge (center) andNorthern Avenue Bridge (left) in 2008 | |
| Coordinates | 42°21′14.05″N71°2′59.20″W / 42.3539028°N 71.0497778°W /42.3539028; -71.0497778 |
| Carries | Seaport Boulevard |
| Crosses | Fort Point Channel |
| Locale | Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Other name(s) | New Northern Avenue Bridge |
| Named for | Evelyn Moakley |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Haunched girder bridge |
| Material | Prestressed concrete |
| Total length | 191.17 metres (627.2 ft) |
| Width | 29.53 metres (96.9 ft) |
| No. of spans | 3 |
| Piers in water | 2 |
| No. oflanes | 4 |
| History | |
| Built | December 1989 – 1996 |
| Opened | March 1996 (eastbound) October 1996 (two-way) |
| Replaces | Northern Avenue Bridge |
| Location | |
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TheEvelyn Moakley Bridge is a bridge that crossesFort Point Channel inBoston,Massachusetts. It connectsDowntown Boston to theSeaport District.
Congressional approval for a new bridge to span Boston'sFort Point Channel was granted in late 1981.[1] Such approval was necessary due to impact on a navigable waterway.[1] Construction began in December 1989,[1] and completion was initially scheduled for October 1992.[2]Anthony's Pier 4, a popular Boston restaurant, was cited byThe Boston Globe as "possibly the strongest single force behind the project."[2][a]
The bridge was initially known as the New Northern Avenue Bridge, due to its location adjacent to the "old"Northern Avenue Bridge, which also provided vehicle access across the Fort Point Channel and had opened in 1908.[3][b] The new bridge was constructed parallel to and about 250 feet (76 m)[c] south of the old bridge. While the old structure had been built as aswing bridge, the new structure was constructed as a fixed span.
The bridge opened to eastbound traffic by early March 1996,[4] and opened to two-way traffic in October 1996.[5]
On October 4, 1996, the bridge was formally named for the wife of CongressmanJoe Moakley,[6] following her death from cancer, and after Moakley declined an offer to have the bridge named in his honor.[7]
At the eastern end of the bridge is theJohn Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse (completed in 1999) and theSeaport Shrine (completed in 2017).[8]
Crossings of theFort Point Channel | ||||
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