Grand Junction Railroad Bridge

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]

Repair work on the Grand Junction Bridge in November, 2012
Under BU bridge Railroad Bridge (Graffiti)
The Boston University Bridge and Grand Junction Railroad Bridge, seen from the Boston side looking upstream.
Coordinates42°21′9.39″N 71°6′37.25″W
CarriesGrand Junction Railroad
CrossesCharles River
LocaleBoston, Massachusetts to Cambridge, Massachusetts
Characteristics
DesignPlate girder bridge
Materialsteel
History
Opened1927[1]
Location in Massachusetts

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 5 MPH. 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 100+ mile detour).[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

References
  1. "Icons Among Us: The BU Bridge — Bostonia Summer 2010". Bu.edu. 2008-02-23. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  2. "Commonwealth Conversations: Transportation: Lt. Governor: Historic CSX Rail Agreement". Transportation.blog.state.ma.us. 2009-09-23. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  3. Archived June 2, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  4. The Associated Press (2010-06-17). "Boston-South Coast Rail Link Takes Step Forward". TheStreet. Retrieved 2013-04-22.
  5. Johnson, Carolyn Y. (24 November 2012). "Aging Charles River rail bridge closes for repairs". Boston Globe. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
  6. http://www.universalhub.com/2013/train-bridge-across-charles-repaired
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