Governor Deval Patrick’s historic transportation reform legislation enabled a significant milestone when the Massachusetts Port Authority Board voted to transfer ownership of the Tobin Memorial Bridge to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT). This 2 1/4-mile-long span crossing the Mystic River serves as a critical commuter route to the North Shore and will officially become part of the state highway system at midnight on Jan. 1, 2010. “This vote stands out as yet another milestone for transportation reform,” said Governor Patrick. “We are making good on our promise to radically simplify the state’s transportation bureaucracy and deliver quality, cost-effective services to the traveling public.” “This vote puts in motion the successful transfer of a valuable transportation asset,” said Thomas J. Kinton Jr., Massport’s Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. “The Tobin helped finance Massport and now it will help finance transportation reform.” “The transfer of the Tobin Bridge to MassDOT means that for the first time all of our state’s major roads, bridges and tunnels will be managed by one unified transportation organization,” said Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary & CEO Jeffrey Mullan. “The landmark reforms our transportation system is undergoing are on track and already making a real difference for the people of Massachusetts.”
Under the direction of Bridge Director Mary Jane O’Meara, Massport personnel have collaborated with MassDOT Highway Division staff for the past six months, working to integrate the Tobin Bridge into the state system. This effort has encompassed numerous components, from information technology systems to historical records. As of November 1, 2009, four camera feeds from the bridge became available on the MassDOT Traffic Camera website at www.mass.gov/511/cameras, allowing commuters and visitors to monitor real-time traffic conditions alongside feeds from other Highway Division cameras throughout Massachusetts. The camera feeds have already been incorporated into the MassDOT Traffic Operations Center, where staff monitor and manage traffic congestion and accidents on the state’s roadways, tunnels and bridges.
For 50 years, Massport has operated the 60-year-old bridge while maintaining a carefully phased maintenance program featuring painting and redecking to preserve its long-term viability. Under the transfer agreement, Massport will not receive compensation for the bridge, and all associated liabilities will pass to MassDOT. The Massachusetts Port Authority operates Boston Logan International Airport, the Port of Boston, Tobin Memorial Bridge, Hanscom Field and Worcester Regional Airport. As a financially self-sustaining public authority, Massport’s premier transportation facilities generate more than $8 billion annually while enhancing economic growth and vitality in New England. For more information visit massport.com. For transportation updates, consult the MassDOT website at www.mass.gov/massdot, the MassDOT blog at www.mass.gov/blog/transportation or follow MassDOT on twitter at www.twitter.com/massdot.