DCR: Construction of Pedestrian Bridge Over Charles River is on Schedule

Print More

Charlie Breitrose

State officials say by the end of 2017 ducks won't be the only ones crossing the Charles River near Watertown Square. The new pedestrian bridge is supposed to be installed in November.

Charlie Breitrose

State officials say by the end of 2017 ducks won’t be the only ones crossing the Charles River near Watertown Square. The new pedestrian bridge is supposed to be installed in November.

While little activity has been seen in recent weeks around worksite where the pedestrian bridge over the Charles River is being replaced, Department of Conservation and Recreation officials expect the bridge to be finished and opened on schedule.

The Joseph Thompson Pedestrian Bridge in Watertown Square is expected to open by the end of 2017, according to DCR officials. Some work around the bridge, including landscaping and plantings, may not be finished until the spring of 2018, according to the DCR.

The abutments of the bridge have nearly been completed on both banks of the Charles, but the bridge must still be built. It is in the prefabrication process and is scheduled to be delivered and installed in November, according to DCR officials.

Charlie Breitrose

The abutments on both sides of the river are nearly complete, and DCR official say work will soon be ramping up to prepare for installation of the new bridge.

Residents will see more construction activity leading up to the installation of the bridge.

The bridge will be installed in one piece by a cranes. A crane will be put on each approach to the bridge and lift the bridge into place. The cranes need space to operate, which limits the amount of work that can be done around the approaches to the bridge, according to the DCR.

Department of Conservation and Recreation

The pedestrian bridge over the Charles River will be replaced. Above is an example of what the new bridge will look like.

7 thoughts on “DCR: Construction of Pedestrian Bridge Over Charles River is on Schedule

  1. Thanks for this detailed update.

    Good to learn that progress is underway.

    We look forward to using the bridge to access the Stop&Shop by foot.

  2. Yes, thanks, I was wondering how things were going here. Really miss having this access over the Charles during the week. On schedule is news too, good news.

  3. It will be worth the wait. The old bridge was a hazard to little kids on bike’s. All the complainers can move out to cambridge….See how they spend $$.

    Good job watertown/DCR
    Brian king. Watertown born and raised!

Leave a Reply to Charlie Breitrose Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *