Evelyn Moakley Bridge

The Evelyn Moakley Bridge is a bridge that crosses Fort Point Channel in Boston, Massachusetts. It connects Downtown Boston to the Seaport District.

Evelyn Moakley Bridge
Partial view of Evelyn Moakley Bridge (center) and Northern Avenue Bridge (left) in 2008
Coordinates	42°21′14.05″N 71°2′59.20″W
Carries	Seaport Boulevard
Crosses	Fort Point Channel
Locale	Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Other name(s)	New Northern Avenue Bridge
Named for	Evelyn Moakley
Characteristics
Design	Haunched girder bridge
Material	Prestressed concrete
Total length	191.17 metres (627.2 ft)
Width	29.53 metres (96.9 ft)
No. of spans	3
Piers in water	2
No. of lanes	4
History
Built	December 1989 – 1996
Opened	March 1996 (eastbound) October 1996 (two-way)
Replaces	Northern Avenue Bridge
Location

History

Congressional approval for a new bridge to span Boston's Fort Point Channel was granted in late 1981.^[1] Such approval was necessary due to impact on a navigable waterway.^[1] Construction began in December 1989,^[1] and completion was initially scheduled for October 1992.^[2] Anthony's Pier 4, a popular Boston restaurant, was cited by The Boston Globe as "possibly the strongest single force behind the project."^[2][a]

The bridge was initially known as the New Northern Avenue Bridge, due to its location adjacent to the "old" Northern Avenue Bridge, which also provided vehicle access across the Fort Point Channel and had opened in 1908.^[3][b] The new bridge was constructed parallel to and about 250 feet (76 m)^[c] south of the old bridge. While the old structure had been built as a swing bridge, the new structure was constructed as a fixed span.

The bridge opened to eastbound traffic by early March 1996,^[4] and opened to two-way traffic in October 1996.^[5]

On October 4, 1996, the bridge was formally named for the wife of Congressman Joe Moakley,^[6] following her death from cancer, and after Moakley declined an offer to have the bridge named in his honor.^[7]

At the eastern end of the bridge is the John Joseph Moakley Federal Courthouse (completed in 1999) and the Seaport Shrine (completed in 2017).^[8]

Notes

1. Anthony's Pier 4 closed in 2013 and the building was demolished in 2016–17.
2. The Northern Avenue Bridge also provided rail access, which was in use circa 1918–1970.
3. As measured center to center.