Charlestown Bridge

Charlestown Bridge
Charlestown Bridge in 2009
Coordinates	42°22′08″N 71°03′36″W / 42.36889°N 71.06000°W / 42.36889; -71.06000
Carries	North Washington Street
Crosses	Charles River
Locale	Boston, Massachusetts
Official name	North Washington Street Bridge (until 2024) William Felton "Bill" Russell Bridge (2024–present)
Other name(s)	North End Bridge
Maintained by	City of Boston
Characteristics
Design	Plate girder bridge approaches, with truss swing span
Total length	1,089 ft (332 m)
Width	66 ft (20 m)
No. of spans	One (241.2 ft [73.5 m])
History
Designer	William Jackson
Construction start	1898, 2018
Construction end	1900, 2023 (planned)
Opened	1900, 2023 (planned)
Replaces	Charles River Bridge (1786)
Statistics
Daily traffic	38,400 cars/day (2010)
Location

The Charlestown Bridge,^[a] officially named the William Felton "Bill" Russell Bridge,^[b] is located in Boston and spans the Charles River. As the river's easternmost crossing, the bridge connects the neighborhoods of Charlestown and the North End. The bridge carries a portion of the Freedom Trail linking to the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill. To the north of the bridge, Route 99 begins and the street becomes New Rutherford Avenue.^[1]

The original structure was completed in 1900.^[2] Replacement of that bridge started in fall 2018 and is expected to be completed in early 2025.^[3] The new bridge was named in honor of Bill Russell, a notable figure in the history of the Boston Celtics and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in October 2024.

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