After more than 100 years of service, we are replacing the North Washington Street Bridge with a new bridge for the 21st century, a complete street over water that works for everyone: people driving, riding the bus, biking, walking, sightseeing, boating, and living nearby. Whether you walk the Freedom Trail to dinner in the North End, take a bus from Chelsea or Charlestown, drive your kids to school, or kayak in the Harbor, the North Washington Street Bridge is a key part of daily life. But it has been struggling to fulfill those purposes: the center bay has been closed since 2003, and since fall 2017, ongoing emergency repairs by the City of Boston have further restricted lanes. It is due for a well-deserved retirement.
About the Project
Construction to build the new bridge began in August 2018 and will continue through Winter 2024. The project’s estimated milestones have been updated:
- 3 lanes of traffic will switch to the new bridge in Winter 2023
- The bridge will be fully open to all users in Winter 2024
- The contract will be completed in Spring 2025 after the temporary bridge is demolished
We know that construction means inconvenience, and that it will impact everyone who travels over and lives near the bridge. MassDOT and its general contractor, J.F. White Contracting, are committed to keeping you informed, managing the impacts as best we can, and getting this project done quickly and safely.
The new bridge will have:
- restored vehicle lanes
- a dedicated bus lane (the first on a bridge in the Boston area)
- physically separated bike lanes
- wide sidewalks and an enhanced Freedom Trail
- seating and lighting
- hearty local landscaping (another first on a New England bridge)