Leverett Circle Connector Bridge
The Leverett Circle Connector Bridge is a highway bridge over the Charles River, carrying two lanes each of northbound and southbound traffic. It connects to Interstate 93 (I-93) in Somerville, Massachusetts (Northern Expressway) at the northern end (exit 18, formerly 26 from I-93 south) and splits at the southern end, providing direct access to both Storrow Drive and Leverett Circle in Boston. Going northbound, there is also a fork which provides access to the City Square Tunnel under Charlestown to proceed on U.S. Route 1 (US 1) northbound via the Tobin Bridge.
Leverett Circle Connector | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42.36909°N 71.06459°W |
| Carries | highway access ramp |
| Crosses | Charles River |
| Locale | Boston, Massachusetts to Somerville, Massachusetts |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | steel box girder bridge |
| Total length | 1.7 miles (2.7 km) |
| History | |
| Opened | October 7, 1999 |
| Location | |
The span was built in conjunction with the more dramatic Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge as part of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, widely known as the Big Dig. During construction, the Leverett Circle Connector Bridge was sometimes called "Baby Bridge". The bridge opened for traffic on October 7, 1999, at a cost of $22.27 million (equivalent to $37 million in 2022).
Also known as the Storrow Drive Connector, it is the largest steel box girder bridge in the United States. It was the winner of a July 2001 National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) "prize bridge" award. Its weaving design was determined by the other major structures involved in the Big Dig but unlike other parts of the project, it was finished eight days ahead of schedule.