CIVE 3800-01: Engineering Boston

A 2004 article by Henry Petroski on Boston's Leonard Zakim Bridge and the tunnels constructed during the Central Artery Project (1991-2006).

Photos of historic bridges in the metro Boston area.

A digitized collection of photos and printed materials on bridges in the Boston area.

Federal Highway Administration publications on bridge research; design and construction; materials; LRFD; ASD; and geotechnical and bridge hydraulics considerations.

Historical photos of the bridge and its structural elements.

A computer-generated video showing the design features of the new bridge for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

Historic black-and-white photos of Boston-area bridge structures.

A blog post on the replacement of the wooden Cottage Farm Bridge (1896) by the steel truss B.U. Bridge (1923).

Find information on bridges and their condition throughout the United States. Users may narrow searches by state, county, and major city.

This article describes the challenges faced, and methods used, in constructing the cable-stayed Leonard P. Zakim Bridge.

Design presentations for a new pedestrian bridge to replace the structurally unsound swing bridge that was built in 1908.

This article by local cartographer Andy Woodruff helps to explain why the two central piers of the Longfellow Bridge are decorated with Viking ship motifs.

This site contains animated demonstrations that illustrate the effect of stress on various bridge designs.

This AISC article provides a discussion of innovative structural features included in the bridge's award-winning design.

Considers the initial concepts, aesthetics, construction and foundations of the bridge, as well as bridge loading and serviceability.

Legislation to allow the building of a drawbridge between Charlestown and newly-filled land in Boston.

A legislative act to establish a company that will build a bridge connecting Boston's West End to Cambridge. The Longfellow Bridge currently occupies the site of the old West End Bridge.

A UMass M.A. History thesis by Dale Freeman (2000).

Historic photos of the West Boston Bridge and its successor, the Longfellow Bridge.

A history of the early transport connections between Boston and Charlestown.

A report in response to an order from the U.S. War Dept. that demanded the alteration of Charles River bridges to permit the free and obstructed passage of ships from the harbor. The order was later rescinded.

Relates the histories of the West Bridge (replaced by the Longfellow Bridge), and the Canal Bridge (near the Museum of Science).

A report on the completion of the Harvard (Mass. Ave.) Bridge in 1892.

This transcript provides a fascinating view into the engineering considerations for constructing a swing bridge in a busy port.

A Cambridge Tribune article on the forthcoming demolition of the Craigie Bridge to make way for the Charles River Dam.

The report of the Chief Engineer regarding the construction of the Longfellow Bridge. Contains historic photos, plans, and elevations.

This report examines the environmental, public health, and engineering considerations of building a dam to stop the tidal flow of the Charles River.

From the September, 1789, issue of 'Massachusetts Magazine.'