Long Island (Massachusetts)

This article is about Long Island in Boston Harbor. For the island in New York, see Long Island. For other islands called Long Island, see Long Island (disambiguation).

42°19′15″N 70°58′00″W / 42.32083°N 70.96667°W / 42.32083; -70.96667

Long Island, Boston Harbor, 2008

Long Island is located in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts. The island is part of the City of Boston,[1][2] and of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. The island is 1.75 miles (2.82 km) long and covers 225 acres (0.9 km2).

Prior to October 2014, access to the island was via a road over a 4,175-foot (1,273 m) causeway[3] from the Squantum peninsula of North Quincy to Moon Island, and from there, over a 3,050-foot (930 m) two-lane steel bridge[4] – officially named the Long Island Viaduct – from Moon Island to Long Island. Access to the causeway leading to Moon Island and Long Island was controlled by police[which?] at a guardhouse at its southern end, and permission needed to be obtained in advance since it is a restricted area.

In October 2014, all access to Long Island was cut off for the indefinite future by then Mayor of Boston, Marty Walsh, based on the warning of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation that the bridge was unsafe. All those living on Long Island and being serviced by recovery programs or who were guests in the homeless shelter were no longer able to get there. They were abruptly relocated elsewhere on an emergency basis.[5][6] The bridge to Long Island was demolished on March 23, 2015.[7] The future uses of the island and its buildings are still under discussion.

  1. ^ "Harbor Islands History", City of Boston.
  2. ^ "Facts: Long Island", National Park Service
  3. ^ For a description of the causeway from the Squantum peninsula through Moon Island, see the following. "LONG ISLAND VIADUCT: Boston, Massachusetts" by ASEC Corporation.
  4. ^ Mikal, Alan, "Exploring Boston Harbor", see p.70 for a photo of the bridge to Long Island from Moon Island.
  5. ^ "Mayor Walsh provides update on the Long Island Bridge". The Official Website of the City of Boston. November 26, 2014. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  6. ^ Abel, David, "On Long Island, haunting signs of a hasty departure: The pieces left behind at island’s shelters highlight uncertainty", The Boston Globe, October 28, 2014
  7. ^ Schworm, Peter, "Long Island Bridge Demolition Continues", The Boston Globe, March 23, 2015