Charlestown Swing Bridge - Boston, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 22.143 W 071° 03.587
19T E 330399 N 4692807
This bridge, the most easterly of the bridges over the Charles River, is an unusual swing bridge that connects Charlestown with the rest of Boston.
Waymark Code: WMCPCA
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 09/28/2011
Views: 9
In Boston, between the North End and Charlestown neighborhoods, is a in iron truss swing bridge. This bridge, called the Charlestown Bridge or the North Washington Street Bridge, is an important link, and has been at this location over 100 years.
Some facts:
Structure Type: Metal Pinned Pratt Through Truss
Movable: Swing
Built: 1900 (another source has 1908)
Designer: William Jackson
Swing Span Arm Length: 119 Feet (36.3 Meters)
Swing Span Length: 241.2 Feet (73.5 Meters)
Northern Approach Total Length: 424 Feet (129.2 Meters)
Southern Approach Total Length: 424 Feet (129.2 Meters)
Main Spans: 1
Approach Spans: 10
The bridge is wide and has three openings. When it was built, it carried an elevated rail route, which later became the Orange Line heavy rail transit. This continued until 1975, when the Orange Line was rerouted and rebuilt, and the elevated section was dismantled.
The bridge carries North Washington Street, which becomes Rutherford Avenue in Charlestown. The Freedom Trail, represented by a painted red line also crosses here.
I'm not sure how often this bridge swings open. The Charles River does not have regular traffic going through the locks. It is likely that it about a few times a day to make way for pleasure craft.
It looks like it's in fair condition. While probably structurally sound, it could use a few coats of paint.
Sources:
Historicbridges.org (Charlestown):
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visit link)
Wikipedia (Charlestown Bridge):
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visit link)