Long Island Bridge
| Long Island Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Crosses | Boston Harbor |
| Locale | Boston, Massachusetts and Quincy, Massachusetts |
| Other name(s) | Long Island Viaduct |
| Owner | City of Boston |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Warren truss |
| Material | Steel, concrete and rebar |
| Total length | 3,450 ft (1,051.6 m) |
| Width | 30.0 ft |
| History | |
| Designer | Crandall Engineering Company |
| Constructed by | Bethlehem Steel Corporation |
| Construction start | 1950 |
| Construction end | 1951 |
| Opened | August 4, 1951 |
| Closed |
October 8, 2014 (demolished 2015) |
| Replaces | Ferry service |
The Long Island Bridge, sometimes referred to as the Long Island Viaduct, was a bridge in Boston, Massachusetts that connected Long Island to Moon Island. Both islands are located in Boston Harbor and are connected to the mainland via a causeway from Moon Island to the Squantum neighborhood of Quincy, Massachusetts. Constructed at a cost of $2,000,000, the bridge was opened on August 4, 1951. Before the bridge was opened, Long Island was accessible only by the ferry James M. Curley. The bridge was built to provide better access to Long Island Hospital, a public facility serving 1,200 chronically ill patients. After the hospital's closure, the bridge provided access to other city facilities on the island, including a homeless shelter, programs for patients with substance abuse problems, and a fire station.
In October 2014, all access to Long Island was cut off for the indefinite future since the then Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, took the warning of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about the condition of the Long Island Bridge being unsafe. All those living on Long Island and being serviced by recovery programs or as guests in the homeless shelter were no longer able to go there or use it for services. They were abruptly relocated elsewhere on an emergency basis.
In January 2015, demolition of the bridge began with the central span section being removed and ferried away in February. In a series of controlled demolitions, the remainder of the bridge was destroyed in March and April.
The future of a replacement bridge is uncertain. Boston mayor Marty Walsh is exploring options, including building a new bridge whereas officials of the city of Quincy expressed opposition to the bridge being rebuilt.
Coordinates: 42°18′30.28″N 70°58′55.10″W / 42.3084111°N 70.9819722°W
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