Echo Bridge

	Echo Bridge
	U.S. National Register of Historic Places
	U.S. Historic district; Contributing property
	Newton Upper Falls Historic District (#86001750)
NRHP reference No.	80000638
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	April 9, 1980
Designated CP	January 18, 1990; September 4, 1986

Echo Bridge is a historic masonry bridge spanning the

Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts, and Ellis Street in Newton. The bridge carries the Sudbury Aqueduct and foot traffic, and is located in the Hemlock Gorge Reservation

. At the time of its construction in 1875–1877, it was the second longest masonry arch in the country.

The bridge was listed on the

American Water Landmark

in 1981.

Description

The bridge crosses over Hemlock Gorge where the Charles River passes over the

Route 128

. Despite being in the midst of a tangle of highways, the river itself is tree-lined and natural.

The bridge is 500 feet (150 m) long, and consists of a series of seven arches. The longest of these, that crosses the Charles, has a span of 137 feet (42 m), and is a segmented arch with a radius of 69 feet (21 m) and a crown of 51 feet (16 m). Five of the arches span 37 feet (11 m), while that spanning Ellis Street is 28 feet (8.5 m). At its crown the bridge is approximately 70 feet (21 m) above the river. The bridge's foundations are made of granite resting on bedrock.[2]

The bridge was closed to the public for much of 2006 to permit repairs of the railings, which were decaying and which do not meet modern safety codes.^[3] Because of the cost of rebuilding the historic railings, chain link fencing was installed on each side, allowing the bridge to be reopened. This fencing was later replaced by a set of modern railings inside the historic railings. Efforts are underway to secure funding to reconstruct the historic railings.^[4]

Walkers on the bridge before it was closed for railing repairs in 2006
The bridge closed for repairs
The bridge reopened with temporary protective fencing
Protective railings next to the historic railings

The aqueduct, which has been serving only as an emergency backup for some years, was reactivated during a state of emergency declared on May 1, 2010. The line was used to carry clean water to parts of 38 communities affected by a catastrophic failure elsewhere in the MWRA system.