1930: Birmingham supports East Boston bridge bill

Sumner Tunnel, Downtown Boston exit (Photo by Victor Grigas)

Birmingham backed a bill to give Boston authority to build a bridge between Boston and East Boston, according to the Boston Globe March 21, 1930 (JMC Scrapbooks Vol. 20, p. 18).

Boston had already received legislative authority to build a tunnel the previous year, so the bill was intended to give the city the option of building a bridge.

In arguing in favor of the bill, Birmingham said that building a bridge would be cheaper than digging a tunnel, and Mayor James Michael Curley should be given the option of building a bridge, the newspaper reported.

Public Utilities Commissioner Everett Stone had earlier argued in favor of building a bridge because of the cheaper costs and other factors.  In addition, Mayor Curley favored construction of a bridge.

The House Rules Committee recommended that the rules be suspended so that the bill might be admitted for consideration by the full House. However, the House, by voice vote on March 20, refused to consider the bill.

Reps. Barker and Carr of Boston opposed the bill, arguing that bridge construction would mean extensive damage to the land and that money and time had already been spent on the tunnel.

The legislature the previous year had authored $16 million to build the tunnel and $50,000 had already been spent on plans and surveys. The tunnel, which was later named the Sumner Tunnel, was completed in 1934.

---