Leverett Circle Connector | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Coordinates | 42°22′09″N 71°03′53″W / 42.36909°N 71.06459°W |
| Carries | highway access ramp |
| Crosses | Charles River |
| Locale | Boston, Massachusetts |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | steel box girder bridge |
| Total length | 1.7 miles (2.7 km)[1] |
| History | |
| Opened | October 7, 1999 |
| Location | |
 | |
The Leverett Circle Connector Bridge is a 1.7 mile-long highway bridge over the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts, carrying two lanes each of northbound and southbound traffic. It connects to Interstate 93 (I-93) at the northern end (exit 18, formerly 26 from I-93 south) and splits at the southern end, providing direct access to both Storrow Drive and Leverett Circle in Boston. Going northbound, there is also a fork which provides access to the City Square Tunnel under Charlestown to proceed on U.S. Route 1 (US 1) northbound via the Tobin Bridge.
The span was built in conjunction with the more dramatic Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge as part of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, widely known as the Big Dig. During construction, the Leverett Circle Connector Bridge was sometimes called "Baby Bridge".[2] The bridge opened for traffic on October 7, 1999,[3] at a cost of $22.27 million (equivalent to $38.3 million in 2023[4]).[5]
Also known as the Storrow Drive Connector, it is the largest steel box girder bridge in the United States. It was the winner of a July 2001 National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) "prize bridge" award.[6] Its weaving design[further explanation needed] was determined by the other major structures involved in the Big Dig but unlike other parts of the project, it was finished eight days ahead of schedule.[5]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
googlemapswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Howe, Peter J. (August 10, 1998). "Masterpiece or monster". Boston Globe. p. C3.
- ^ "Leonard P Zakim-Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge (I-93 and US 1)". Boston Roads.[self-published source]
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ a b "MTA - the Charles River Bridges". Archived from the original on November 21, 2008. Retrieved December 5, 2008.
- ^ "National Steel Bridge Alliance 2001 Prize Bridge Award Winner: Medium Long Span Storrow Drive Connector Bridge". Modern Steel Construction. October 2001. Archived from the original on May 6, 2003. Retrieved January 15, 2022.