The interchange dominates the South Bay parcel, a 10-acre (40,000 m²) site between Chinatown and the Leather District. It is roughly bounded by Kneeland Street, Hudson Street, the Massachusetts Turnpike mainline, and the Interstate 93 mainline. Currently owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT), the area is taken up by a major highway interchange between 90, 93, and local streets. There were original plans to re-develop the area with a 600-foot-tall (180 m) office tower, but no such project has taken place.
The South Bay parcel, as well as the adjacent Chinatown and Leather District neighborhoods, sit on filled land. Once part of South Cove, a portion of Boston's South Bay, it was filled in 1833 by the South Cove Corporation, who built an intermodal train/sea station as part of the Boston and Worcester Railroad. This development included residential and commercial area, and what was considered at the time to be the largest hotel in the United States. Throughout most of the 19th century and the early half of the 20th century, the district was made up of rail yards serving railroads entering Boston from the south and west.
The rail yards and terminus attracted leather and garment businesses, which constructed the commercial buildings in the adjacent Leather District. Similarly, the railroad served as an immigrant gateway, a role which it played beginning in the late 19th century for many Asian newcomers, particularly Chinese.
In the 1950s, the Massachusetts Highway Department displaced much of the rail yards to build the John F. Fitzgerald Expressway (the Central Artery). Later the South Bay interchange connected the Central Artery to the Massachusetts Turnpike. The intersection has since been reconstructed by the Big Dig, with tunnels to South Boston and Logan Airport.
Interchange constructionedit
The interchange was constructed beginning in the late 1990s as a major feature of the Big Dig project. By using a variety of methods including soil freezing and tunnel jacking to maintain adjacent subway, freight and commuter rail operations, engineers were able to avoid major interruption of existing traffic flows. The name South Bay originates from the state of the area prior to nineteenth century land reclamation efforts which filled an area of marshes and brackish water that was an estuary of Boston Harbor with dirt from nearby high ground.[2]
Galleryedit
Overlooking South Bay Interchange toward the south-southwest from One Financial Center in Boston, with the Great Blue Hill visible in the background
south, interchange, this, article, about, interchange, downtown, boston, massachusetts, south, dorchester, boston, south, dorchester, massachusetts, other, uses, south, massive, interchange, downtown, boston, massachusetts, interchange, consists, interstate, m. This article is about the interchange in downtown Boston Massachusetts For South Bay Dorchester Boston see South Bay Dorchester Massachusetts For other uses see South Bay The South Bay Interchange is a massive interchange in downtown Boston Massachusetts in the US The interchange consists of Interstate 90 the Mass Pike Extension and the Interstate 93 concurrency with US 1 and MA 3 south of the Thomas P O Neill Jr Tunnel 1 South Bay InterchangeLocationSouth Bay Boston MassachusettsCoordinates42 20 46 N 71 03 36 W 42 346 N 71 060 W 42 346 71 060Roads atjunctionI 90I 93 US 1 Route 3ConstructionConstructed1997 2003Opened2003 2003 Maintained byMassachusetts Department of TransportationThe interchange dominates the South Bay parcel a 10 acre 40 000 m site between Chinatown and the Leather District It is roughly bounded by Kneeland Street Hudson Street the Massachusetts Turnpike mainline and the Interstate 93 mainline Currently owned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation MassDOT the area is taken up by a major highway interchange between 90 93 and local streets There were original plans to re develop the area with a 600 foot tall 180 m office tower but no such project has taken place Contents 1 History of the site 2 Interchange construction 3 Gallery 4 References 5 External linksHistory of the site editThe South Bay parcel as well as the adjacent Chinatown and Leather District neighborhoods sit on filled land Once part of South Cove a portion of Boston s South Bay it was filled in 1833 by the South Cove Corporation who built an intermodal train sea station as part of the Boston and Worcester Railroad This development included residential and commercial area and what was considered at the time to be the largest hotel in the United States Throughout most of the 19th century and the early half of the 20th century the district was made up of rail yards serving railroads entering Boston from the south and west The rail yards and terminus attracted leather and garment businesses which constructed the commercial buildings in the adjacent Leather District Similarly the railroad served as an immigrant gateway a role which it played beginning in the late 19th century for many Asian newcomers particularly Chinese In the 1950s the Massachusetts Highway Department displaced much of the rail yards to build the John F Fitzgerald Expressway the Central Artery Later the South Bay interchange connected the Central Artery to the Massachusetts Turnpike The intersection has since been reconstructed by the Big Dig with tunnels to South Boston and Logan Airport Interchange construction editThe interchange was constructed beginning in the late 1990s as a major feature of the Big Dig project By using a variety of methods including soil freezing and tunnel jacking to maintain adjacent subway freight and commuter rail operations engineers were able to avoid major interruption of existing traffic flows The name South Bay originates from the state of the area prior to nineteenth century land reclamation efforts which filled an area of marshes and brackish water that was an estuary of Boston Harbor with dirt from nearby high ground 2 Gallery edit nbsp Overlooking South Bay Interchange toward the south southwest from One Financial Center in Boston with the Great Blue Hill visible in the background nbsp Traffic detoured onto I 93 at the South Bay Interchange after the Big Dig ceiling collapse References edit Land transfer agreement with the United States Postal Service PDF Federal Highway Administration 1997 p 2 Retrieved 10 December 2009 Parker Dave January 8 1998 Boston tangler London New Civil Engineer Retrieved 10 December 2009 External links editDesign and Construction of Driven Pile Foundations Lessons Learned on the Central Artery Tunnel Project Federal Highway Administration nbsp This Massachusetts road related article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title South Bay Interchange amp oldid 1187573461, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
