By Dan Murphy
With the release of his recently published book, ‘Bridges as Structural Art,’ venerable bridge designer and longtime Beacon Hill resident Miguel Rosales was on hand Wednesday, Aug. 27, for an author’s talk at the West End Museum. Rosales focused on two of Boston’s most iconic bridges, which are also among his most celebrated projects – the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Memorial Bridge and the Longfellow Bridge. The cable-stayed Zakim Bridge, which spans 183 feet wide across the Charles River and accommodates 10 lanes of traffic, completely transformed the city’s landscape upon its completion in 2003. Designing the bridge was a seven-year process due to its myriad ramps and connections, recalled Rosales, who served as the project’s lead architect. Rosales was admittedly overwhelmed by how deeply and quickly the people of Boston came to embrace the bridge as the one of the city’s most identifiable landmarks. “I never expected it to become so iconic,” he said.
As opposed to designing the Zakim Bridge, which entailed the creation of an entirely new structure, the $300 million restoration of the Longfellow Bridge sought to revitalize a historic bridge, which opened in 1906 to connect Boston to Cambridge across the Charles River. For this project, Rosales credits the formation of a Task Force for the project in 2008 for “improving the design considerably.”
In restoring the bridge, Rosales said the intention was to preserve as much of the existing structure while accurately recreating its other elements. During the revalidation of the Longfellow Bridge, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) gave Rosales the green light to design the adjacent Frances ‘Fanny’ Appleton Pedestrian Bridge – a $12.5 million, ADA-compliant, 14-foot wide, steel-arch bridge that crosses Storrow Drive and links Charles Circle in Boston to Central Square in Cambridge across the Charles River. The new bridge, with its curved design, opened on Aug. 31, 2018, replacing an obsolete structure from the 1970s. At 230 feet long, the Appleton Bridge is considerably longer than the other footbridges that cross Storrow Drive, Rosales noted. Rosales was also the lead architect on the newly dedicated William Felton “Bill Russell” Bridge, which spans the Charles River and connects Charlestown to the West End and North End near the TD Garden. The new $180 million, multi-modal structure, which Rosales designed to complement the nearby Zakim Bridge, replaced a century-old truss bridge over Boston Harbor (the erstwhile North Washington Street Bridge). In recognition of his many achievements in Boston, July 9 of this year was officially declared ‘Miguel Rosales Day’ in the City of Boston per a resolution sponsored by District 8 City Councilor Sharon Durkan.
Councilor Durkan’s resolution to honor Rosales describes him as “an internationally recognized architect and urban designer whose work has reshaped the Boston skyline through innovative and inspiring bridge designs” while asserting that “[his] talents are evident in his ability to create designs that are both visually pleasing and centered on the pedestrian experience, making lasting contributions that enrich residents’ daily engagement with their surroundings.” Born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Rosales moved to the Boston area 40 years ago to study urban and environmental design at MIT.
Today, he is the president and principal designer of the renowned Boston-based firm, Rosales + Partners. ‘Bridges as Structural Art’ by Miguel Rosales is available via Amazon and at select local bookstores, including Beacon Hill Books at 71 Charles St. Rosales will also be on hand for another author’s talk on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Upstairs Downstairs Home, located at 69 Charles St. Copies of his book will also be available for purchase at that time.