The architect who designed the city’s iconic Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge was on hand at the West End Museum on Wednesday to present preliminary plans for the estimated $125-million replacement of the North Washington Street Bridge.
Miguel Rosales, president and founder of Boston-based Rosales + Partners Transportation Design, outlined the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s proposal for the new bridge, which would span the Charles River and connect City Square in Charlestown to the North End. The proposed structure, measuring 1,087 feet long, will provide a separation between vehicles and pedestrians through use of a barrier and architectural steel trellis, as well as the first dedicated cycle tracks on any bridge in the city. The roadway section of the new bridge would accommodate four lanes of vehicular traffic – two in each direction – and 4-foot outside shoulders.
Construction is slated to take place between 2017 and 2020 in phases, with portions of the bridge remaining open during the process.
Its design is intended to compliment the nearby Zakim Bridge, which will loom over the new bridge.
“It’s very important that the two bridges are compatible and harmonious,” Rosales said.
Besides the Zakim, viewing areas in the middle of the bridge will also look out on other popular landmarks, including the TD Garden, the Custom Houser Tower and Old North Church in Boston, as well as the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown.
The new structure is expected to usher in a new ear for bridges citywide.
“This bridge is a very important part of the city,” Rosales said. “It is the future of Boston, and will set the standard for all future bridges.”
An artist’s rendering of the new North Washington Street Bridge at night.