Historic Boston bridge closed temporarily due to large potholes

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Updated Oct 26, 2017
A rendering of the planned replacement of Boston’s Charlestown Bridge.A rendering of the planned replacement of Boston’s Charlestown Bridge.

One of Boston’s historic bridges had to be closed due to large potholes damaging cars, according to WCBV.

The closing of the North Washington Street Bridge, also known as the Charlestown Bridge, lasted about four hours October 24 and was reopened at 10 p.m.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation plans to begin work on replacing the 117-year-old truss bridge next year. MassDOT has closed the center lanes of the structurally deficient bridge since 2003. The bridge is owned by the city of Boston, which spends $3 million to $5 million a year on the bridge’s maintenance, MassDOT says.

The MassDOT has determined the bridge can’t be repaired and must be replaced. It has received $50.5 million to replace the bridge.

The bridge connects Charlestown and the North End and includes part of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile path through the city’s history.