Storrow Drive

The Storrow Drive ( James Jackson Storrow Memorial Drive officially ) is an urban freeway in Boston's Back Bay in the state of Massachusetts in the United States that runs from the Leverett Circle eastward along the Charles River. The road is designed as a parkway, ie it is limited to cars. Trucks and buses allowed to use it. It was named after James Jackson Storrow and ends at its eastern junction with the Massachusetts Route 28, from where it continues 28 as part of the route under the name Embankment Road.

The Storrow Drive is used in particular for quick access to places in the city center. In western direction there is the Harvard Bridge to connect to Massachusetts Route 2A and Massachusetts Avenue. The Storrow Drive continues past the Boston University until it is at the Boston University Bridge to Soldiers Field Road, which continues the Massachusetts Route 2 from there.

The road is managed by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and is available as part of the Emerald Necklace also part of the Metropolitan Park System of Greater Boston. Together with the Memorial Drive and the Cambridge Parkway is the Storrow Drive Moreover, part of the Charles River Basin Historic District listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Until 1989 was over Storrow Drive and U.S. Highway 1, which is, however, out today along Interstate 93.

• 3.1 Early opponents
• 3.2 construction phase

Name donorship

The Parkway was named after the investment banker James J. Storrow, who called a campaign for the establishment of the Charles River Basin and to develop the riverfront into a public park to life. However, he never supported a river runs along Parkway, and his widow also turned publicly against it.

Traffic load

On Storrow Drive is often too fast and aggressive driving, as it is difficult for the police due to lack of emergency lane to stop traffic offenders. In addition, there during heavy rainfall and especially in the winter months danger of flooding when high rainfall per time unit or snow and a frozen road hold the water from flowing into the drains. A further problem is the narrow lanes.

Use as a parking area

During the summer night concerts at the Hatch Shell, many visitors park their cars in the departures of Storrow Drive. The free concerts and fireworks regularly attract about 200,000 visitors, and many take advantage of the free parking on the descents.

Low underpass height

The Storrow Drive leads only to a small distance under bridges through, but this is not signposted. Hence it is now and before that wedged a truck or other larger vehicle under a bridge and causes a several -mile-long traffic jam. It happened already, that a loaded truck collided with scissors with a bridge and its cargo lost, prompting more than 30 consecutive cars got a flat tire, two of them even on all four wheels. Also in the tunnel through which the highway leads, vehicles regularly get stuck.

History

Between 1958 and 1971 the Storrow Drive was reported as Massachusetts Route C9.

Early opponents

In previous projects along the Charles River James Storrow was the focus, in particular the construction of the Charles River Dam. He put value on landscape designs and garden areas and was always against occupying buildings. In the 1930s additions to the Esplanade could only be carried out by an important part of the expansion project - a highway from the Longfellow Bridge to Boston University Bridge - was not realized because of huge protests. After his widow Helen Storrow supported a group of highway opponents, the project was initially abandoned, however, a new application for the construction of the highway was brought to the administration shortly after her death in 1944. Despite still strong reservations and due to no longer comprehensible processes in the Parliament passed the Act for the construction of the highway and to name after James Storrow in 1949 was adopted.

Construction phase

Construction began at the turn of 1950/1951. As part of the experiment, parkland and green space to preserve, had to be replaced by newly acquired land along the coast, each occupied by the new Highway square meters of land. The Storrow Drive was officially opened on 15 June 1951 at a ceremony by the then Governor Paul A. Dever.

List of exits

The exits on Storrow Drive are not numbered. The distance information refers to the connection to the Soldiers Field Road.