Echo Bridge

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Echo Bridge (from the north)

Echo Bridge was built to carry an aqueduct over the Charles River in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. The aqueduct carried water from the Sudbury River to Boston. Construction of Echo Bridge began in 1875 and was completed in 1877 by Boston Water Works (BWW). At the time, it was the second longest masonry arch in the country. The bridge was named an American Water Landmark in 1981.

The aqueduct is no longer in use, but is maintained as a reserve backup by the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority.

The bridge crosses over Hemlock Gorge where the Charles River passes over the fall line in Newton Upper Falls. There are still old mill buildings in view from the bridge, but most of the gorge remains naturally overgrown with hemlock. The bridge has two viewing locations, the pedestrian walk on top of the bridge and a platform underneath where visitors can hear the eponymous echos. Views include white water, a waterfall and the hemlock-lined gorge. The 29-acre park including the gorge is maintained by the commonwealth Department of Urban Parks and Recreation.

The bridge is located just off Route 9 where it crosses Route 128. Despite being in the midst of a tangle of highways (a major interchange of the Massachusetts Turnpike is also nearby), the river itself is tree-lined and natural.

Echo Bridge underwent extensive rennovations in 2006 and was closed to the public for much of the year; it has been reopened.