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Bomb squad clears suspicious package in Cambridge

Posted by Martin Finucane  April 30, 2011 12:05 PM
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By Miriam Valverde, Globe Correspondent

Two Cambridge roads reopened after they were closed for approximately two hours as state and local police investigated a suspicious package in the area of Vassar and Memorial Drive.

State Police and the Cambridge Bomb Squad said that the package was deemed safe at around 12 p.m., about two hours after they reported to the scene. Traffic was closed to both pedestrians and vehicles, going both directions of Memorial Drive and from Vassar Drive to the Boston University Bridge.


Scott Ellis, Boston University's assistant director of athletic communications, said he and about 50 other people were stuck in the BU boathouse for over an hour as the bomb squad investigated the package. He said the boathouse was approximately half a block away from the package, which he said was on the sidewalk on the side of the river of Memorial Drive.

He said a rowing race was going on earlier that morning, in which Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern University, Harvard and MIT participated. "No one was panicking, but everyone was taking it seriously," Ellis said. Over 100 fans were watching the race, he said.

Ellis said that shortly before noon, a bomb squad official approached them and ordered them to orderly evacuate the area and head toward the BU Bridge.

No further information was provided by police officials.

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