Longfellow Bridge sidewalk closed due to support beam problem

By Stephanie Ebbert, Globe Staff

State officials indefinitely closed one of the Longfellow Bridge's sidewalks today and announced they would block spectators from the entire span on the Fourth of July, eliminating a fireworks viewing spot for thousands of pedestrians and elevating already steep concerns about the integrity of the bridge.

The Department of Conservation and Recreation, which manages the bridge, announced the closure of the sidewalk on the side of the bridge that carries cars from Cambridge into Boston after an inspection late Thursday night showed a support beam below it needs immediate repair.

Pedestrians will be detoured to the opposite sidewalk, which will remain open to normal foot traffic but closed to large crowds, such as the Fourth of July audience.

An estimated 400,000 spectators flock to the area of the Charles River Esplanade to watch the Fourth of July fireworks along the Charles River and the Boston Pops concert at the Hatch Shell. Roughly 10,000 to 30,000 of them watch from the Longfellow Bridge, DCR officials said.

"At the end of the day, DCR certainly recognizes this is a huge event for the city of Boston but it's also a national event," DCR Commissioner Richard K. Sullivan Jr. said in an interview. "First and foremost, we are concerned with public safety and making that a safe event. "

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