Grand Junction Railroad Bridge Explained

Bridge Name:Grand Junction Railroad Bridge
Carries:Grand Junction Branch
Crosses:Charles River
Locale:Boston, Massachusetts to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Design:Plate girder bridge
Material:steel
Open:1927[1]
Coordinates:42.3526°N -71.1103°W
Mapframe:yes

The Grand Junction Railroad Bridge is a steel plate girder bridge carrying the Grand Junction Railroad over the Charles River in Boston, connecting the Boston University campus to Cambridgeport. In September 2009, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts finalized[2] an agreement to purchase several CSX rail lines in eastern Massachusetts, including the Grand Junction tracks from the Beacon Park Yard in Allston, through Cambridge.[3] The deal was closed on June 17, 2010.[4]

Repairs

On November 21, 2012, the Grand Junction Railroad Bridge was closed to all rail traffic due to its poor condition. This was a change from a restriction put in place days earlier, on November 16, which barred freight trains from crossing, as well as restricting MBTA and Amtrak equipment moves to 5mph. While emergency repairs were under way, trains moving between the north and south sides of Boston had to be routed via Pan Am Railways trackage between Ayer, Massachusetts and Worcester, Massachusetts (a detour over 100miles in length).[5] The bridge reopened in early January 2013, but was closed again in March for major structural repairs,[6] reopening again in June.

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Icons Among Us: The BU Bridge — Bostonia Summer 2010 . Bu.edu . 2008-02-23 . 2013-04-22.
  2. Web site: Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation: Lt. Governor: Historic CSX Rail Agreement . Transportation.blog.state.ma.us . 2009-09-23 . 2013-04-22 . 2013-03-06 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130306202027/http://transportation.blog.state.ma.us/blog/2009/09/lt-governor-historic-csx-rail-agreement.html . dead .
  3. http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov3pressrelease&L=3&L0=Home&L1=Our+Team&L2=Lieutenant+Governor+Timothy+P.+Murray&sid=Agov3&b=pressrelease&f=092309_CSX_transportation&csid=Agov3
  4. Web site: The Associated Press . Boston-South Coast Rail Link Takes Step Forward . TheStreet . 2010-06-17 . 2013-04-22.
  5. News: Aging Charles River rail bridge closes for repairs . Boston Globe . Johnson, Carolyn Y. . 24 November 2012 . 24 November 2012.
  6. Web site: Train bridge across the Charles repaired.