The John W. Weeks Memorial Bridge, usually called the Weeks Footbridge or simply Weeks Bridge, is a pedestrian bridge over the

Charles River The Charles River (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ), sometimes called the River Charles or simply the Charles, is an river in eastern Massachusetts. It flows northeast from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, Hopkinton to Boston along a highly me ...

, located four miles northwest of downtown

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

on the

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

campus. The bridge connects Harvard’s original

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a List of cities in the United Kingdom, city and non-metropolitan district in the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It is the county town of Cambridgeshire and is located on the River Cam, north of London. As of the 2021 Unit ...

campus with the

Harvard Business School Harvard Business School (HBS) is the graduate school, graduate business school of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university. Located in Allston, Massachusetts, HBS owns Harvard Business Publishing, which p ...

and many of the school’s athletic facilities in

Allston Allston is an officially recognized neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was named after the American painter and poet Washington Allston. It comprises the land covered by the zip code 02134. For the most part, Allston is ...

. The Weeks Bridge opened in 1927 to carry pedestrian traffic between the

's newly built Allston campus and Harvard's main campus in Cambridge. It is named for John W. Weeks, a longtime U.S. Representative and later U.S. Senator from

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, and the U.S. Secretary of War in the Harding and Coolidge administrations. The bridge's concrete underbelly conceals branches of the University's steam, electrical, and communications networks. The bridge is a popular vantage point from which to enjoy the Head of the Charles Regatta. An abrupt bend in the river prompts most boats to crowd through the bridge's center span, and collisions have occurred when coxswains could not make themselves heard above the cheering of the crowd.

Renovation

On September 21, 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation held a ribbon cutting to mark completion of a $3 million renovation that made the Weeks bridge handicap accessible in compliance with the

Americans with Disabilities Act The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 or ADA () is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. It affords similar protections against discrimination to Americans with disabilities as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, ...

. Stairs at either end were replaced with ramps and accessibility-compliant railings were installed on the bridge. Other improvements included new accessible approach paths, new lighting using replicated historic fixtures, restoring the eroded river bank adjacent to the bridge, and repairs to the bridge masonry and structure. Harvard University contributed $150,000 to the project.DCR Commissioner Opens Newly Renovated Weeks Bridge During Annual RiverSing Celebration
/ref> Harvard University Skyline 2

References

{{Crossings navbox , structure = Crossings , place =

, bridge = John W. Weeks Bridge , bridge signs = , upstream =

Anderson Memorial Bridge Anderson Memorial Bridge (commonly but incorrectly called Larz Anderson Bridge) connects Allston, Massachusetts, Allston, a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, Boston, and Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge. The bridge stands on the site ...

, upstream signs = , downstream = Western Avenue Bridge , downstream signs = Bridges in Boston Buildings and structures in Cambridge, Massachusetts Harvard University Pedestrian bridges in Massachusetts Bridges in Middlesex County, Massachusetts Bridges over the Charles River Concrete bridges in the United States Arch bridges in the United States