The Harvard Bridge (also known locally as the MIT bridge or the "Mass Ave" bridge) carries Massachusetts Avenue (Route 2A) from Back Bay, Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the longest bridge over the Charles River.
Named for the Reverend John Harvard, it was originally built in 1891 with a swing span. The bridge was revised over the years until its superstructure was completely replaced in the late 1980s.^a It is locally known for being ...
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The Harvard Bridge (also known locally as the MIT bridge or the "Mass Ave" bridge) carries Massachusetts Avenue (Route 2A) from Back Bay, Boston to Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is the longest bridge over the Charles River.
Named for the Reverend John Harvard, it was originally built in 1891 with a swing span. The bridge was revised over the years until its superstructure was completely replaced in the late 1980s.^a It is locally known for being measured in the idiosyncratic unit called the smoot.
In 1874, the Massachusetts Legislature passed two acts, Chapters 175 and 314 to authorize the construction of a bridge between Boston and Cambridge. Nothing further happened until 1882, when a follow-up act (Chapter 155) with more specifics was enacted. The location was expressed as
The bridge was to have a draw with an opening of at least 38 feet (12 m). Unfortunately, Boston did not like this act, mainly because it did not provide for an overhead crossing of the Grand Junction Branch of...
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