Focus Areas

Begun in 2013, the Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Project is designed to address structural deficiencies, upgrade capacity and bring the bridge up to modern standards. Rehabilitation will include better access for pedestrians, bicyclist and drivers, as well as better connections to meet accessibility guidelines. The middle span of the bridge which supports existing Red Line service will also be reconstructed. Repairs and modifications are designed to preserve the historic character of the bridge and its iconic salt-and-pepper towers while complying with environmental standards.

Why It’s Important

The Longfellow Bridge is a vital link between Boston, Cambridge and the Charles River Esplanade, providing mobility for hundreds of thousands of transit commuters, bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists every day.

A Better City’s Role

In 2010, A Better City served on MassDOT's Longfellow Bridge Task Force and helped to prepare recommendations on the use of the bridge for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians. The task force also studied the relationship of the modified bridge design to the approaches at each end of the bridge, and to the Esplanade open space along the Charles River. A number of design recommendations brought forward by A Better City were adopted in the final design of the project. A Better City continues to closely monitor construction and traffic management plans for this project.