Canton Viaduct - Canton, MA
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NorStar
N 42° 09.493 W 071° 09.254
19T E 322029 N 4669589
The Canton Viaduct, built in 1835, is a prominent stone arch bridge that supports the busy Amtrak Northeast Corridor and MBTA Commuter Rail traffic.
Waymark Code: WM20GM
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/15/2007
Views: 44
The Boston and Providence Railroad was one of three built at once to connect Boston to other cities. The Canton viaduct was erected when the track was first laid down between the two cities, and, today, asside from a few modifications, still stands as it did in 1835.
Statistics and Alterations Made (from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) web site: (
visit link) )
It is 615 feet long, 70 feet high, and 22 feet wide. It originally carried a single track. In 1860, a second track was added. In 1952, a hole in one of the archways was made to allow automobiles through (it's barely wide enough for two lanes). In the 1990s extensive rennovations were made to the top of the viaduct to prepare it for high speed electric train service as part of the Northeast Corridor Route (at that point the New England portion had not been electrified). Even with these modifications, the viaduct structure remains essentially as it was originally built.
It has been designated a Civil Engineering Landmark. A plaque is in a grassy area on Neponset Street just west of the bridge (the coordinates are centered here).
Another good source of information is here: (
visit link)