Boston University Bridge
NBI Information
Location
State: Massachusetts
County: Suffolk County
Feature Carried: MA-2/Brookline Street
Feature Crossed: Charles River, Storrow Drive, and MBTA Railroad
Latitude, Longitude: 42.3526, -71.1106
Toll: On free road
Maintenance Responsibility: State Highway Agency
Structure Open, Posted, or Closed to Traffic: Open, no restriction
History
Year Built: 1928
Historical Significance: Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places.
Year Reconstructed: None
Picture Date: February 17, 2019
Geometry
Lanes on Structure: 4
Lanes under Structure: 4
Skew: 0 degrees
Number of Main Spans: 1
Main Structure Type: Arch - Thru
Main Structure Material: Steel
Number of Approach Spans: 6
Approach Structure Type: Arch - Deck
Approach Structure Material: Concrete
Condition
Inspection Date: January 2022
Deck Condition: Satisfactory
Superstructure Condition: Fair
Substructure Condition: Fair
Channel Condition: Good
Culvert: Not Applicable
NBI Year: 2023
Bridge Information
The Boston University Bridge is one of the few places in the world where a boat can sail under a train driving under a car driving under an airplane!
This bridge is a braced ribbed steel through arch bridge that was built in 1928 to replace the 1850's drawbridge that preceded it. The bridge was originally named the Cottage Farm Bridge, but was renamed the Boston University Bridge in 1949, after a group of students went to the State House to propose the name change.
The bridge was rehabilitated in 2008, due to severe deterioration in the bridge deck and steel. The repairs were done in three phases to maintain traffic, which meant that the construction didn't conclude until 2011. The construction also provided historic restoration and environmental enhancement.
References
Historic Bridges: https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=massachusetts/bostonuniversitybridge/
BU Today: https://www.bu.edu/articles/2009/icons-among-us-the-bu-bridge/
