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The Tobin Memorial Bridge is a cantilever truss bridge that spans the Mystic
River from Charlestown to Chelsea, Massachusetts. It opened in 1950 after
two years of construction. The bridge is more than 1,500 feet long, with a
center span of about 800 feet in length.
U.S. Route 1 travels over the
Tobin Bridge, and then connects in downtown Boston with Interstate 93 and the
Big Dig tunnel system.
The bridge is painted rustic green, and of distinctive style of that
period. For those
unfamiliar with the bridge, there are two interesting features. During
winter, high winds pass through the bridge by design, and one can feel the lift when
approaching the high point just before the southbound-only toll
plaza. The other interesting feature is also experienced when driving south.
After leaving the toll plaza, one travels from more than 100 feet in height
to below ground level into a tunnel in
Charlestown.
Originally known as the Mystic River Bridge, it was renamed the Maurice
J. Tobin Memorial Bridge in 1967. Maurice Tobin (1901-1953) was Boston
Mayor (1937-1944), Massachusetts Governor (1945-1947), and U.S. Secretary
of Labor (1948-1953). He was very popular in his day, and won the 1936
Boston mayoral race
against his mentor
James Michael
Curley.
Tobin's legacy was his diligent support of labor laws,
such as promoting fair
employment practices, anti-discrimination practices, and support of
workers compensation and unemployment benefit rules. Tobin had authorized
construction of the Mystic River Bridge while serving as Massachusetts Governor, and
supported legislation which created the Massachusetts Port Authority.
Tobin Statue, Near Hatch Shell
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