Editing Longfellow Bridge (section)

===Major reconstruction project===
[[File:Structural Elements for Longfellow Bridge reconstruction 2017.png|thumb|left|Structural elements on a barge in [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]], waiting to be installed]]
A $255 million project started construction in the summer of 2013 to replace structural elements of the bridge, and restore its historic character.<ref name=MassDOT>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=Longfellow Bridge|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|work=Accelerated Bridge Program|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2 March 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328060558/http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/charlesriverbridges/LongfellowBridge.aspx|archive-date=28 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> The project was expected to require at least 25 weekend shutdowns of MBTA Red Line subway service to accommodate construction, including multiple temporary relocations of the rapid transit tracks.<ref name=Powers>{{cite news|last=Powers|first=Martine|title=Longfellow Bridge repairs, disruption to start in summer|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2013/02/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-begin-this-summer-with-major-traffic-diversions/gPqPYiWt2KmmWpxB5vmOaM/story.html|access-date=2 March 2013|newspaper=The Boston Globe|date=February 28, 2013}}</ref> Outbound road traffic (from Boston to Cambridge) was to be detoured from the bridge for all three years of expected construction. A single lane of inbound traffic was expected to be available for the duration of the project, potentially restricted to buses-only at certain hours. A [[computer animation]] movie released by MassDOT showed the complex six-stage rehabilitation process in great detail, including temporary installation of a "shoo-fly track" (bypass track) to allow the permanent railbed at the midline of the span to be rebuilt.<ref name=LBVid>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=Longfellow Bridge Construction Animation|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQsyPClwVj8 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/VQsyPClwVj8 |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|work=youmovemass|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=6 March 2013}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The design/build phase of the bridge was assigned to the joint venture team of contractors White-Skanska-Conslgli under supervision by MassDOT.<ref>{{cite web|last=MassDOT|title=MASSDOT BOARD APPROVES CONTRACTS FOR REHABILITATION OF LONGFELLOW AND WHITTIER BRIDGES|url=http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/main/tabid/1075/ctl/detail/mid/2937/itemid/283/MassDOT-Board-Approves-Contracts-for-Rehabilitation-of-Longfellow-and-Whittier-Bridges.aspx|access-date=3 May 2013}}</ref> Preliminary design engineering was performed by [[Jacobs Engineering Group|Jacobs Engineering]]. [[STV Group (United States)|STV, Inc.]] was the final design engineer and engineer of record. The design provided for widened sidewalks and bike lanes,<ref name="MassDOT" /><ref name="Powers" /> with two motor vehicle lanes inbound (towards Boston), but only a single lane outbound (towards Cambridge).<ref name="Dungca" />

The Longfellow Bridge is considered to be the most important historic bridge in the City of Boston due to its prominent location over the Charles River and outstanding visual and architectural quality. The primary aim of the rehabilitation project was to address the bridge's structural deficiencies, upgrade its capacity and bring it up to date with modern codes while also preserving its visual and historic architectural character. A significant portion of the restoration work lay with dismantling, cleaning, restoring, and re-erecting the 58-foot-tall towers that frame the river's navigation channel, which had settled over time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Jacques|first=Kiley|title=The Reconstruction of Longfellow Bridge|url=https://www.traditionalbuilding.com/projects/longfellow-bridge|access-date=2021-05-17|website=Traditional Building|date=17 March 2020 |language=en-us}}</ref>

The Longfellow Bridge Restoration and Rehabilitation project was scheduled for completion in 2016, but the completion date was extended to December 2018, due in part to historic restoration requiring obsolete construction techniques such as [[riveting]].<ref name="Dungca">{{cite news|last1=Dungca|first1=Nicole|title=Longfellow Bridge construction extended until late 2018|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2015/07/28/longfellow-bridge-construction-delayed-two-years/9m7OpQrAIpV6B2IF9mlegL/story.html|access-date=2016-01-22|work=The Boston Globe|date=July 29, 2015}}</ref> In August 2016, the outbound side of the bridge was completely closed to all traffic, including pedestrians and cyclists, in order to complete work sooner. This measure was undertaken to allow the bridge to be fully reopened by June 2018.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Dungca|first1=Nichole|title=Rebuilt Longfellow Bridge may reopen by June 2018|date=August 31, 2016|url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/08/31/longfellow-bridge-now-expected-open-june/uZH4Bdp5ioYBVqsrnQlk0O/story.html|website=Boston Globe|publisher=Boston Globe Media Partners, LLC |access-date=23 September 2016}}</ref> After years of delays, the bridge was fully reopened on May 31, 2018,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.boston.com/cars/commute/2018/05/31/longfellow-bridge-photos |title=5 photos of the Longfellow Bridge, which has reopened after years of construction |first=Lauren |last=Frias |website=[[Boston.com]] |date=May 31, 2018 |access-date=May 31, 2018}}</ref> but portions of the project, such as replacing the pedestrian footbridge over Storrow Drive, were completed by the fall of 2018. According to Jonathan L. Gulliver, MassDOT Highway Administrator, the total cost of the rebuilding project was $306.6 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vaccaro |first=Adam |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/05/30/after-years-reconstruction-longfellow-bridge-reopens-thursday/zmyS7hxc9LHAP55tklUR6L/story.html |title=After years of reconstruction, Longfellow Bridge reopened 5 a.m. Thursday |work=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=2018-05-31 |access-date=2018-06-01 }}</ref> After a settlement with its contractors, the state paid $305.5 million on a budgeted cost of $303.7 million, which had included cost overruns.<ref>{{cite news |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/09/17/final-cost-longfellow-bridge-project-tad-overbudget/YyKhLhhRr34EDN9QX759VJ/story.html |title=Final cost of Longfellow Bridge project a tad overbudget |author=Adam Vaccaro |date=17 September 2018}}</ref>
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{{wide image|Longfellow-Cambridgeside.jpg|2300px|align-cap=center|View of the Longfellow Bridge from [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|East Cambridge]] in 2008||center|}}