Lechmere Viaduct

The Lechmere Viaduct is a concrete arch bridge connecting the West End neighborhood of Boston to East Cambridge, Massachusetts. Opened in 1912, the viaduct carries the MBTA's Green Line over the Charles River. It is adjacent to the Charles River Dam Bridge, but structurally separate.HistoryConstructionWhen the Tremont Street Subway fully opened in 1898, surface cars entering the subway from East Cambridge had to cross Craigie's Bridge and proceed on surface streets to the Canal Street Incline. The trip from Lechmere Point over the bridge was slow and prone to delays. On June 20, 1907, construction began on one mile of elevated track connecting the Canal Street Incline to East Cambridge. The project's centerpiece was the 1700ft arched viaduct crossing the Charles River, with 12 spans including a short drawbridge section.Other sections of elevated track included the Causeway Street Elevated on the Boston side of the river, and the Lechmere Elevated on the East Cambridge side. The first streetcars crossed the bridge in revenue service on June 1, 1912, shortening the ten-minute trip from Lechmere Square to the subway to just three minutes. The building of the massive structure was done entirely by the Boston Elevated Railway, without use of subcontractors.