Anderson Memorial Bridge
| Anderson Memorial Bridge | |
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The Anderson Memorial Bridge in April 2011
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| Coordinates | 42°22′08″N 71°07′24″W / 42.3689°N 71.1232°WCoordinates: 42°22′08″N 71°07′24″W / 42.3689°N 71.1232°W |
| Crosses | Charles River |
| Locale | Cambridge, Massachusetts to Boston, Massachusetts |
| Maintained by | Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Preceded by | Great Bridge (Cambridge) (1662) |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | arch bridge |
| Material | reinforced concrete faced with red brick |
| History | |
| Designer | Wheelwright, Haven and Hoyt |
| Construction begin | 1913 |
| Construction end | 1915 |
 Anderson Memorial Bridge
Location in Massachusetts
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Anderson Memorial Bridge (commonly but incorrectly called Larz Anderson Bridge) connects Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, and Cambridge. The bridge stands on the site of the Great Bridge built in 1662, the first structure to span the Charles River. It brings Boston traffic (from North Harvard Street) into Harvard Square (via JFK Street) and was finished in 1915.
Often assumed to be named after Larz Anderson, the bridge was actually built by him as a memorial to his father, Nicholas Longworth Anderson. To do so, Anderson was helped by the huge family fortune of his wife, Isabel Weld Perkins. According to the Metropolitan Park Commission of 1913:
The Anderson Memorial Bridge replaces the inadequate, old wooden draw bridge which for many years had marked the former condition of the banks of Charles River. The new bridge was made possible by the gift of the Honorable Larz Anderson as a memorial to his father, a gallant general of the United States Army, Nicholas Longworth Anderson, renowned for his part in the Civil War...
The bridge was designed by the architectural firm of Wheelwright, Haven and Hoyt and completed under the direction of John R. Rablin, chief engineer for the Metropolitan District Commission.
MassDOT as part of its Accelerated Bridge Program will rehabilitate the Anderson Memorial Bridge . The project will repair the arches and replace the parapets, sidewalks, lighting, and the bridge deck. The project is expected to cost $19.9 Million. Work began in Spring 2012 and was originally expected to be completed by late 2014. However, delays have pushed the full-use date to February 2016, with final completion anticipated in June 2016.
Anderson Memorial Bridge is constructed of reinforced concrete accented by red brick. The bridge's spandrel walls and panels are fashioned to give the illusion of rough-hewn stone. It has a Georgian Revival design with neoclassical influences that visually connect it to the other bridges that span the Charles as well as the nearby buildings of Harvard University. Architectural author Douglas Shand-Tucci writes:
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