By Dan Murphy
A newcomer to the project, venerable bridge designer Miguel Rosales unveiled three design options for a new, pedestrian-only Evans Way Bridge on the Back Bay Fens during a meeting sponsored virtually by the city on Oct. 9.
The erstwhile Evans Way Bridge, located in the park near both the Museum of Science and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, has been missing “since probably the 1970s or ‘80s,” said Rosales, designer of the conceptual bridge, as well as founding principal of the Boston-based firm, Rosales + Partners.
The bridge was once part of a trio of bridges in the Fens, he said, which also includes the Middle Bridge and the North Bridge, two narrow structures that still function today.
Located in the same general area as the old bridge, the new Evans Way Bridge would have a longer span than the former crossing and stretch across the entire river, said Rosales, with a 10-foot minimum to allow for pedestrian crossing in both directions.
“It’s a small but very important crossing,” said Rosales. “I think it will be a perfect connection to the whole system of paths in the entire park.”
All three design options Rosales presented at the meeting would fall within the $1.2 million budget for the project, although he said they are “very different.”
Rosales described the first option as “a steel-box system,” topped with concrete, that would cross the entire waterfront. It would have a span of about 70 feet, or 122 feet altogether, making this option longer than the two existing bridges, he noted.
Vertical pickers would be used for the 42-inch minimum railings in an effort to make them as “transparent” and simple” as possible, said Rosales.
For the second option, two narrow, steel arches would be prefabricated and brought on site for installation, said Rosales, and the bridge would rely on a stress-driven system, with precast planks attached to a steel ribbon.
Cables would be used for the railings, which Rosales described as “light and transparent.”
Rosales called this second option “more contemporary, more vanguard.”
Lastly, the third option would be a truss bridge, drawing inspiration from the original trio of wood bridges in the Fens, which were built in the 1930s but didn’t last due to deterioration, said Rosales.
The truss would be prefabricated off site before being brought in for installation, said Rosales, while the deck would be installed afterwards.
Rosales described this option as a “completely different approach,” as well as a “gracious way to cross.”
This design option would have a longer span at 93 feet because the whole truss is the structure itself, said Rosales, compared to 71 and 80 feet respectively for the other two concepts.
Moreover, Rosales said this design option includes plans for a metal system where concrete can be poured on top to helps keep the cost down.
Regardless of which option is selected, a 6-foot change in elevation at the location exists, said Rosales, so the grade would need to be modified to make the new bridge ADA accessible.
Rosales added that a color for the new bridge would also be selected, pending further study and feedback.
After the team has received and evaluated feedback on the three options, the project would then advance to the 30-percent design phase, said Rosales.
Lauren Bryant, project manager for the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, said some CPA (Community Preservation Act) funding is in place for the project, but no capital budget has been earmarked for it yet.
“It is not fully funded right now for construction,” said Bryant.
“What the thought is that once we have the final conceptual design, we’ll have a better sense of what exactly the budget is.”
Bryant added that once finished, Rosales’ drawings would likely go a long way towards fundraising, as well as towards securing eligible grants. But the project’s timeline now hinges on the final conceptual design, as well as fundraising, she said.
Longtime Fenway resident and neighborhood activist Marie Fukuda said she liked the second option for its curves, which, she said, complements the other bridges in the Fens. She also expressed a preference for third concept, noting how it “goes back” to previous bridge concepts.
Fukuda likened the railing in the first option as something more fitting for an airport and said she would prefer to see something more historically appropriate.
But Fukuda added she would be happy with any of the three options presented.
Genevieve Day, co-executive director of Fenway Alliance, expressed a preference for the second option as well because of its curves, along with its design, which, she said, “looks traditional and modern at the same time.”
In contrast, Day added that she felt the third option felt “a little intense.”
Alison Pultinas of Mission Hill also expressed a preference for the second option because of its curves.
Besides the Evans Way Bridge, the scope of the project entailing proposed improvements to the Back Bay Fens pathways was expanded to also include the War Memorial, along with its paths and accessibility; and the John Boyle O’Reilly Memorial.
While the city controls most of the land and pathways within the project site, the War Memorial and its pathways are under the jurisdiction of the Boston Trust Office, and the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation owns the land around the perimeter of the park and on the edges of Agassiz Road.
For more on city’s project to improve the Back Bay Fens pathways, including plans for the new Evans Way Bridge, visit boston.gov/fens-pathways.