It's a staple for commuters and an iconic part of the Boston skyline.
But plans are in the works to someday replace the Tobin Bridge.
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The Tobin Bridge takes Route 1 from Chelsea to Charlestown, and is now more than 70 years old. It carries about 87,000 trips on a typical weekday, and although it will be years before it will get replaced, MassDOT believes that it needs to start planning now.
Acting MassDOT Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutts spoke to state officials on Wednesday, and presented a plan to look into eventually replacing the aging piece of infrastructure.
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MassDOT is expected to release a request for proposals on Friday, searching for consultants to study all of the possible options for the eventual replacement of the nearly two-mile-long Tobin Bridge.
The agency has already granted a $109 million contract for maintenance and repairs.
"The time is now," Tibbits-Nutts said. "I think anyone that's been on the Tobin Bridge — we need to be taking the steps needed with the planning and engineering decisions to replace the Tobin Bridge with a similar, but also alternative infrastructure."
The study alone of the bridge could take about two years.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” said school bus driver Richard Thomas.
Thomas is not looking forward to what a replacement would mean in terms of diverted traffic in the area.
“I drive for the school bus so it’s gonna make my job a little harder, and like when the kids get out of school they want to get home, you know?” he said.
The project would impact tens of thousands of commuters who use the bridge every day, that’s why MassDOT said it will hold meetings with the community and get feedback as part of the study prior to any construction work.
“The infrastructure around here definitely needs a lot of work and i think this is certainly a step in that direction,” said Charlestown resident Matt Magira. “It’s just how do you do it to best serve the resident in the neighborhood and the city itself.”
