The Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge was bestowed with the Arthur G. Hayden Medal for a single outstanding achievement in bridge engineering demonstrating innovation and design excellence at the International Bridge Conference in Washington, D.C. The medal is awarded every year to a pedestrian or special purposes bridge worldwide, and it is a significant honor because multiple projects across the United States and abroad are nominated.
“I am very proud that the beautiful and iconic Frances Appleton Pedestrian Bridge has received the 2019 Arthur G. Hayden Medal specially because the pedestrian bridge is located in Boston, my hometown,” said Miguel Rosales, the architect for the bridge as well as president and founder of Boston-based Rosales + Partners. “Both Mass DOT who provided the funding and helped build the bridge and the DCR who owns and maintains it should be congratulated for paying special attention and commitment to the aesthetics and visually quality of the crossing adjacent the Esplanade and Charles River. It is my hope that the bridge will be used and enjoyed by Bostonians for many generations to come.”
The 750-foot-long, multi-use bridge is located on the banks of the Charles River that connects Beacon Hill/Charles Circle to the Charles River Esplanade. It is named after the wife of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of the most widely known and best-loved American poets of his lifetime. He used to cross the Charles River from Cambridge to Beacon Hill in the 1840s while he was courting “Fanny” Appleton, and the new bridge complements the historic Longfellow Bridge as a symbol of their union.