Old bridges never die ....

... They just crumble until someone rebuilds them. While driving to work this morning, I noticed the Rte. 30 bridge that goes over Rte. 128 (just past the Charles River Canoe & Kayak Club, Newton Boathouse on Comm Ave.) has a metal plaque that reads "1962", when a big wave of highway expansion was taking place in Boston's suburbs (see yesterday's commentary related to the Mass Pike).

The bridge certainly looks its age -- weeds grow on the sidewalk, there are potholes on the road, and large gaps on the roadway where the bridge starts and ends really do a number on your car's shock absorbers. They've tried to patch some of the bigger holes but it's been a losing battle with the terrible winter we've just had and the wet weather in the spring. I am not sure if this is a state or a city responsibility, but at some point the bridge will need to be rebuilt or replaced ... not a fun project, considering the bridge's location straddling the state's busiest highway.