Tobin Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tobin Bridge |
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The Tobin Bridge viewed from East Boston
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| Coordinates | 42°23′05″N 71°02′51″W / 42.38483°N 71.04755°W |
| Carries | 6 lanes of  US 1 (3 upper, 3 lower) |
| Crosses | Mystic River |
| Locale | Boston, Massachusetts (Charlestown-Chelsea, MA) |
| Official name | Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge |
| Maintained by | Massachusetts Department of Transportation |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | three-span double-deck cantilevered truss bridge |
| Material | steel |
| Total length | 11,906 feet (3,629 m) |
| Width | 36 feet (11 m) |
| Height | 254 feet (77 m) |
| Longest span | 800 ft (244 m) |
| Clearance below | 135 feet (41 m) |
| History | |
| Construction begin | April 12, 1948 |
| Opened | February 27, 1950 |
| Statistics | |
| Toll | $1.25 E-ZPass ($0.30 for local residents), $1.55 pay-by-mail (auto rate) for either direction. |
The Maurice J. Tobin Memorial Bridge, often just called the Tobin Bridge, is a huge bridge in Massachusetts. It stretches over two miles (about 3 kilometers) across the Mystic River. This amazing bridge connects Boston to Chelsea. It's the biggest bridge in all of New England!
The bridge is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation. It carries U.S. Route 1, a major highway. Construction on the bridge started in 1948 and it opened to cars on February 2, 1950. It took the place of an older bridge called the Chelsea Street Bridge.
The Tobin Bridge has two levels for traffic. Each level has three lanes. Cars heading north use the lower level, and cars heading south use the upper level. The roadway is about 36 feet (11 meters) wide.
Contents
Bridge Design and Size
The Tobin Bridge is a special kind of bridge called a cantilever truss bridge. It has three main sections. The middle section is the longest, stretching 800 feet (244 meters). The tallest part of the bridge is about 115 feet (35 meters) high.
In total, the main part of the bridge is 1,525 feet (465 meters) long. There are also many smaller sections that lead up to the main bridge. There are 36 of these approach sections on the north side and 32 on the south side.
History of the Tobin Bridge
The Tobin Bridge was first managed by a group called the Mystic River Bridge Authority. The plan was for the bridge to become free of tolls once the money used to build it was paid back. This would have made it part of the state highway system.
However, things changed. In 1956, a new group, the Massachusetts Port Authority, took over running the bridge. Instead of removing the tolls, they actually increased them. In the early 1990s, tolls went up even more. This extra money helped pay for a huge construction project in Boston called the Big Dig.
Renaming the Bridge
In 1967, the Mystic River Bridge got a new name. It was renamed in honor of Maurice J. Tobin. He was a very important person in Massachusetts. Maurice Tobin used to be the mayor of Boston and later the governor of Massachusetts. Building the bridge started when he was governor. He also worked for the United States government as the Secretary of Labor for President Harry Truman. He passed away in 1953.
Modern Tolls and Updates
On January 1, 2010, the bridge's management changed again. It was moved from Massport to the new Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
A big change happened on July 21, 2014. The old tollbooths on the bridge were closed and removed. The bridge switched to an all-electronic toll system. This means drivers no longer stop to pay cash. Instead, tolls are paid using an E-ZPass device. If you don't have an E-ZPass, a picture of your license plate is taken. Then, a bill is sent to your home by mail. This change was part of a plan to make all toll roads and bridges in Massachusetts electronic.
Bridge Repairs and Upgrades
The Tobin Bridge is an old and busy bridge, so it needs regular care. In September 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced a big project. They planned to spend $41.6 million over three years to fix the bridge. This work included repairing the bridge deck (the road surface) and fixing steel parts. They also planned to paint sections of the bridge.
The repair work started in April 2018 and continued through November 2018. The same kind of work was done during the spring and fall months for the next two years, finishing in 2020. A company called J. F. White Contracting Co. did the work.
