The Tobin Bridge : its history and politics

Abstract

The Tobin Bridge was a significant transportation improvement which gave automobile travelers from Chelsea and the North Shore unprecedented high-speed access to Boston. Through the first 50 years of the 20th century, Chelsea wanted a high-speed bridge but could not afford to build one, and also could not convince the state of Massachusetts or the city of Boston to finance a new bridge. In 1946, the state legislature created the Mystic River Bridge Authority, a public authority which built a high-level bridge by issuing bonds whose repayment was based upon expected toll revenues. The construction process was briefly delayed by protests from community members and their elected representatives, who objected to the residential displacements the bridge caused. The Mystic River Bridge opened in February, 1950, and was renamed the Maurice J. Tobin Bridge in 1967.