Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge

Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge Review

The crown jewel of the "Big Dig" construction project, the 1,432-foot-long Zakim Bridge, designed by Swiss bridge architect Christian Menn, is one of the widest cable-stayed hybrid bridges ever built, and the first to use an asymmetrical design. The towers evoke the Bunker Hill Monument, and the distinctive fan shape of the cables gives the bridge a modern flair. The bridge was named after Lenny Zakim, a local civil-rights activist who headed the New England Region of the Anti-Defamation League and died of cancer in 1999, and the Battle of Bunker Hill, a defining moment in U.S. history. One of the best spots to view the bridge is from the Charlestown waterfront across the river. The best viewing is at night, when the illuminated bridge glows blue.