Anderson Memorial Bridge to undergo restoration by MassDOT

As part of the Commonwealth’s $3 billion Accelerated Bridge Program, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is undertaking the rehabilitation of the historic Larz Anderson Memorial Bridge, a historically and architecturally significant feature of the Charles River landscape. The bridge, constructed in 1915, is in severe disrepair and is currently a safety hazard, due to crackling concrete, loose or missing bricks, and arches which are structurally compromised.

MassDOT is planning repairs which follow the Secretary of the Interior’s “Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.” These plans include the repair and replacement of spandrel walls, parapets, and concrete arches. MassDOT will work closely with the Massachusetts Historical Commission as the project progresses.

The project also includes plans to increase pedestrian and cycling space across the bridge by widening the pedestrian/bike path. Some advocates have pushed for adding a boardwalk-style pedestrian underpass on both sides of the river, as part of the heavily-used network of paths of the Charles River Esplanade. The Alliance has supported exploration of this alternative, although we have expressed that its design would have to be sympathetic to the historic bridge. The plan also includes landscaping design, in which invasive trees near the bridge will be replaced with native species. The Alliance is supportive of the plan for the bridge’s rehabilitation, and looks forward to the project’s commencement.