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Boston's newest bridge
By adamg on Sun, 07/29/2012 - 11:23am
Greg MacKay strolled the North Point Bridge, which lets pedestrians and bicyclists cross the train tracks out of North Station between Charlestown and Cambridge.
Copyright Greg MacKay. Posted in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
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Comments
Finally! Now one can travel
Finally! Now one can travel by bike from North Station to North Point/East Cambridge without dealing with theMonsignor O'Brien Highway. The stretch by the Museum of Science to Lechmere is TERRIFYING on a bike.
Well done DCR!
Don't get too excited...
This doesn't help the journey you described. Adam mistakenly said that this bridge crosses the Charles. It doesn't. This bridge improves the walk/bike trip between East Cambridge and Charlestown. Kudos to the State for completing this Big Dig mitigation project using ARRA funds.
But...
You can cross from North Station to Charlestown via the paths that go over new Charles River Dam, then from Charlestown to Lechmere via this bridge. It's a bit out of the way, but relatively free from vehicle traffic until you get near Lechmere station.
You are correct, sir....
One can now exit North Station on the side closest to the Zakim bridge, bang a hard left, walk over the Charles River locks, and voila - you're in Charlestown. Zip along the new park there, over this bridge, and into the the new North Point neighborhood.
This is a great link for cyclists looking to access East Cambridge, Porter Sq., and Somerville from North Station. While traversing the Charles River locks is somewhat of a 'hidden route', and not at all obvious to people not intimately familiar with the area, perhaps signs could be put up that guide cyclists along this path?
Now if only they'd fix those gong tube things ...
Over the dam, I'd be very happy.
Improving the Charles River Dam entrance on the Boston side
The entrance to the dam walkway on the Boston side looks awful. I don't begrudge the State Police Marine Division their parking lot, but there's no excuse for the orange barrels and Jersey barriers that make the place look like the Big Dig never ended. The dirt area now being used as a parking lot extension should be either paved or landscaped, or some of each.
Fruit Stripe Lamps
Another keen aspect of this project is that it finally makes that strange little pathway from the Bunker Hill Community College parking lot make sense. This is the one with the colorfully striped lampposts running alongside the ramp that takes you from New Rutherford Ave to the Tobin Bridge. I always thought it looked like a good place to go if you wanted to get mugged. Now you can ride your bike from BHCC down that trail and go over the new bridge to North Point Park and on to the trails along either side of the Charles. You got connections!
Yes, you're right
Fixed. It cross *by* the Charles.
Two more bridges on the way.....
Two more footbridges, one spanning the Charles, and a more complex structure that would leap over the railroad tracks adjacent to the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, are in design, with funding in place to complete them by 2015, according to the Department of Conservation and Recreation. They’re not yet a done deal, but if these two bridges are built as planned, they and the new North Bank Bridge will allow cyclists and pedestrians to move almost seamlessly among the Esplanade, the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, and Boston Harbor, whether they’re riding from Cambridge, the North End, or Charlestown.
Boston Globe 7/8/2012
If they would only open the harbor walk
The harborwalk has been closed for no reason for many years along the charlestown waterfront from the dam to the Navy Yard.
Oh, but that would make too much sense to not force people onto the surface streets by the hotels.
Will they reopen the Harborwalk?
There is a section of path that goes along the Harbor between the Navy Yard and the park.
It has been closed for at least 6 years that I know of - blocked off completely, forcing people onto the streets away from the water.
It should to be open as it is supposed to be open - if only to carry folk through the area.
Earlier this month...
Earlier this month I walked across the new dam, then along the water's edge past the Marriott hotel, en route to the Navy Yard. When I got to the marina I turned inland, past the room where the hotel guests were eating their breakfasts, to get to the street. So the part next to the hotel is open; I don't know about the part next to the marina.
At the Constitution Center office complex (formerly "Constitution Plaza") you can again walk at water's edge. But when you get to the USS Constitution, a fence that blocks you from continuing at waterside. That's because the area immediately adjacent to Constitution is considered a security area. It's open to the public in daytime, but you have to go through a security inspection checkpoint (similar to a government office building) to get inside it.
There's another area near the Constitution Museum that's off limits in part because the wooden piers are unsafe.
Similarly, on the Boston side, there's an area between the new dam and North Washington Street where the piers are unsafe. Coming from the North End, you can walk under the Charlestown Bridge but it leads to a dead end and you must return to the building that now houses the Romney HQ.
just went over early today 1230 1am nice!
magnificent. had a little trouble finding it HUGE park i live nr sullivan use a power scooter new batteries ready to go! cambridge st
rt on rutherford ave right on prison pt bridge left to museum way ok
round and round by playground f%@k where is it back out by ef straight look ahead THERE IT IS! nice but short ride wtf how to n. sta td garden skinny metal walkways TIGHT SQUEEZE ok str. to n sta? yes ok ok theres causeway st made last train to sullivan.
nice romantic park jaunt on a summer night bring your 59 ford convertible with dion's the wanderer blasting out!
What a fabulous-looking bridge!
It looks cool, especially at night!
Great Photo!
Really nice photo! It helps bring out the bridge's design feature that echoes its big brother looming over it -- all those cables - except these are horizontal.
The bridge also gives you a good view of the launching site of the duck boats. Amazing how many of them there are launching and returning.