Innovation & Aesthetic 1898 - Cambridge Bridge Commission formed to replace West Boson Bridge. 1910 - The Craigie Bridge (Canal Bridge) is replaced by the Charles River Dam and a new draw turning the lower Charles River from a tidal estuary into a fresh-water basin. Courtesy of the Cambridge Department of Public Works 1899 - Charlestown Bridge (Current Charles River Bridge), a swing bridge opens to the public. The Boston Elevated Railway Company is allowed to construct its tracks across the bridge; electric rapid transit ser- vice would commence in June 1901. Courtesy of the West End Museum The length of the dam from the wall of the Charlesbank on the Boston side to the harbor line on the Cambridge side of the river is 1,170 feet. About 250 feet out from the Boston side it is proposed to construct a lock having a length of 300 feet between gates, a width of 40 feet, and a depth of 10 feet below mean low tide. The lock is to provided with iron gates at each end, which will move horizontally upon rollers into recesses on the Boston side. It is also to be supplied with open- ings through which water can be admitted or discharged, so as to ill and empty it quickly. – engineering report 1927 - Cambridge Bridge renamed Longfellow Bridge by a legislative act. 1928 - "Boston Madison Square Garden (“Boston Garden”) opens as a box- ing venue. A new train station was built into the design and re- Courtesy State Library of Massachusetts placed North Union Station with North Station. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library The West Boston Temporary Bridge is built to replace the old West Boston Bridge in anticipation of a new Cambridge Bridge. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library 1952 - Photo of a truck falling through the roadway shows the disrepair of the Warren Bridge. Courtesy Library of Congress The Secretary of War disapproved a draw less West Boston bridge project. 1900 - Both branches of Congress authorized the Cambridge Bridge Commission "to construct a draw less bridge across the Charles River in the State of Massachusetts between the cities of Boston and Cambridge." The Senate bill, pre- sented by Senator Hoar, passed both Houses of Congress, and received President McKinley's approval the following month. 1906 - Cambridge Bridge opened. Courtesy of the Boston Public Library 1962 - Warren Bridge destroyed by fire on May 25th; permanently closed and replaced by the Charles River Dam 1974 -1978. 2009 - The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) undertakes a major project for the reha- bilitation and restoration of the Longfellow Bridge projected to be completed in 2011. The main goals of this federally funded project are to repair or replace deteriorated parts of the bridge structure and Courtesy MIT Technology Review bring the roadway structure into compliance with modern design standards..