July 4th Information: Road Closures; Parking Information; Accessibility; Prohibited Items & More
Listed below are the
pedestrian, parking, and traffic restrictions that will be in place for 2022
Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular along with other helpful information for
those planning on attending the event at the Esplanade this fourth of July. Impacts
will primarily occur in Boston with Cambridge being directly affected on July 4
– particularly after 4 p.m. All roadways will remain closed (unless noted
otherwise) until the Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) can clean
the roadways and remove event and production assets.
If you are planning on watching the fireworks from the Cambridge side of the
Charles River, please note there will be no sound towers or food concessions
this year.
ROAD CLOSURES
These closures will be updated as needed. Cambridge closures are highlighted.
Friday, July 1
Starting at 7am:
- NO parking on Mugar Way from
Arlington Street to Charles Street until 6am on July 5. All vehicles
remaining will be removed.
Saturday, July 2
Starting at 6pm:
- Right-hand
travel lane on Storrow Drive westbound will be closed.
Sunday, July 3
Starting at 7am:
- Esplanade
walkway adjacent to the Charles River closed to pedestrians and bicyclists
from the area of Community Boat Club to the front of the Concession Stand.
All pedestrians and bicyclists will be directed to the sidewalk adjacent
to Storrow Drive until approximately 3pm.
Starting at 12pm:
- Right-hand
travel lane on Storrow Drive westbound will be closed.
- Esplanade
curbside reserved for permitted bus parking, from the Longfellow Bridge
westbound to the Fielder Footbridge.
- Traffic will
continue westbound on Storrow Drive.
- There will
be no public parking along Storrow Drive for either the rehearsals or the
concert.
Starting at 3pm (or a time to be determined by the Incident Commander):
- Storrow
Drive will be closed to westbound traffic from the Charles Circle to the
Bowker Overpass. All westbound traffic will be diverted to Charles Circle.
Westbound traffic may re-enter Storrow Drive westbound by heading down
Charles Street, to Beacon Street, to the westbound entrance at the Bowker
Overpass.
- Mugar
Way at Beacon Street closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. This will
remain closed until the early morning hours of July 5. Pedestrians will be
directed to Berkeley Street for entrance to the Esplanade.
- Berkeley
Street at Beacon Street closed to vehicular traffic.
- Storrow
Drive eastbound will be closed and detoured at the Bowker Overpass. It
will remain closed until July 5.
- The
exit to Arlington Street from the Storrow Tunnel (eastbound) will be
closed until 6am July 5.
Monday, July 4
Starting at 9am:
- No parking on Memorial Drive (either side)
from #450 Massachusetts Avenue to the Longfellow Bridge. All vehicles
remaining after this time will be removed.
- No parking on Cambridge Parkway.
- Access to
Storrow Drive westbound from Leverett Circle to Kenmore Square (Bowker
Overpass) will be closed to traffic.
- The inbound bus lane on Charles River Dam
Road will close from Museum Way to Leverett Circle.
- The Storrow
Drive Exit Ramp in the Tip O’Neil Tunnel will be closed to all traffic
except emergency vehicles.
- The Leverett Circle entrance to Storrow Drive
westbound will be closed. Traffic will be allowed to travel on Msgr.
O’Brien Highway to Cambridge and Martha Road to Boston.
- The
following Storrow Drive on and off-ramp closures will remain in effect
from July 3:
- Berkeley
Street
- Charlesgate
Area (heading eastbound)
- Bowker
Overpass from Park Drive and the Fenway
- Charles
Street Circle (heading westbound)
- No parking at Magazine Beach and Magazine
Pool, Riverside Boat Club, and the MWRA pumping station (Cottage Farm). No
boat launching in this area.
- Fanny
Appleton pedestrian footbridge at Charles Circle going to the Esplanade is
closed.
- Fiedler
Footbridge from Beacon Street going to the Esplanade is closed.
Starting 3pm:
- No access to
Storrow Drive westbound from the Kenmore Square (Bowker Overpass).
- No access to
Storrow Drive westbound from the Beacon Street on-ramp under the Bowker
Overpass.
- Storrow
Drive eastbound will be detoured at University Avenue.
Starting at 4pm:
- Memorial Drive in both directions from
Massachusetts Avenue to the Longfellow Bridge closed to vehicular traffic.
- Main Street, Cambridge from Third Street to
the Longfellow Bridge closed to vehicular traffic.
- Ames Street from Main Street to Memorial
Drive, Cambridge, closed to vehicular traffic.
- Wadsworth and Amherst Streets, Cambridge,
closed to vehicular traffic.
- Land Boulevard from Binney Street to
Longfellow Bridge closed to vehicular traffic.
- Hayward, Carlton, Charlotte’s Way, and Dock
Streets in Cambridge closed to vehicular traffic.
- Access allowed to 1 Memorial Drive only with
issued permit.
- Longfellow Bridge closed to vehicular
traffic. Bikes and pedestrians will be allowed to cross the bridge.
- The Longfellow Bridge will be closed to bikes and pedestrian
traffic from approximately 9pm until the end of the fireworks. No fireworks viewing from the Longfellow Bridge will be
allowed.
- Massachusetts Avenue (Harvard) Bridge closed
in both directions to vehicular traffic from Beacon Street in Boston to
Vassar Street in Cambridge. Bikes and pedestrians will be allowed to cross
the bridge.
- The Massachusetts Ave (Harvard) Bridge will be closed to bikes and
pedestrian traffic from approximately 9pm until the end of the
fireworks. No fireworks viewing from the
Massachusetts Ave (Harvard) Bridge will be allowed.
- Memorial Drive from Massachusetts Avenue to
the BU Bridge closed to vehicular traffic. Vehicular access will be
allowed for patrons going to the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Hyatt patrons will
be directed to the Vassar Street road closure.
- Vassar Street in Cambridge from Massachusetts
Avenue to Memorial Drive closed to vehicular traffic. Access will be
allowed for residents and Hyatt patrons.
-
Cambridge Parkway closed to vehicular traffic
(except: it will remain open to vehicles with handicapped placards/plates
only). All vehicles must be removed from Cambridge Parkway by 1am on July
5.
Starting at 10:30pm:
- The
Craigie Bridge by the Museum of Science will be down from approximately
10:30pm on July 4 until 1am on July 5 to allow
uninterrupted motor vehicle traffic.
- Smaller
boats that can pass under the bridge while in the down position will be
allowed to pass.
All closures are subject to
change at the discretion of the Incident Commander.
Handicapped Parking - July 4:
- 12pm:
Mass Eye & Ear LAZ Parking Lot opens for vehicles displaying
handicapped placards/plates. HP placards/plates are needed for entry to
the lot. (Entrance for LAZ parking lot is through Charles Circle.).
- The
Mass Eye & Ear LAZ Parking Lot will close when the allotted parking
area at the Mass Eye & Ear LAZ Parking Lot is filled, or at 6pm,
whichever occurs first.
- Handicapped parking will also be
accommodated on Cambridge Parkway.
Clean-Up:
- Clean-up
begins 30 minutes after the fireworks display has concluded.
- All
roadways will remain closed until clean-up and labor crews are safely
removed.
- If practicable, there will be an
attempt to open the roadways in the following order:
- Massachusetts Avenue Bridge
- Longfellow Bridge
- Memorial Drive
- Storrow
Drive, Bowker Overpass, Charlesgate Area, Charles Circle
Interstate 93:
Viewing of fireworks
display from I-93 is prohibited and dangerous. There will be troopers assigned
(Troop H / H9, SP Tunnels) to this area to strictly enforce “no stopping.”
GETTING TO THE HATCH
MEMORIAL SHELL:
The Boston Pops
Fireworks Spectacular is held at the Department of Conservation and Recreation
(DCR) Hatch Memorial Shell on the Charles River Esplanade. Please visit them
at mass.gov/dcr or on twitter @MassDCR.
Parking Information
It is recommended that interested participants take public transportation
(MBTA) to the event. If you do bring a vehicle to the event, there are several
public parking garages within walking distance to the Esplanade. The
historic Motor Mart Garage (located at 201 Stuart Street) is an easy walk to the Esplanade and
you’ll avoid traffic on Charles Street after the fireworks by parking there!
Accessible Parking
Parking for event-goers
with disabilities is available at the Mass Eye and Ear Infirmary on July 4th.
This lot can be accessed by entering Storrow Drive outbound from Leverett
Circle and exiting at the Charles Circle off-ramp. The parking entrance is at
the far left of the beginning of the ramp. A handicapped plate or placard is
required to enter the lot. A shuttle, which is offered on July 4th only, will
be provided from the designated parking location at the Mass Eye and Ear
Infirmary. The shuttle will run from 3:00PM through 6:00PM, or until the area
is full, and will return all event-goers to the lot at the end of the concert
and fireworks. MBTA The Ride customers will have priority on the Shuttles;
seating is limited.
By Foot
On July 4, the Esplanade
can be accessed from Beacon Street via Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, and
Fairfield Streets and Massachusetts Avenue.
ALLOWED ITEMS AT THE ESPLANADE
- Pop-up
tents/canopies with no sides – maximum size 10’x10’.
- Blankets
or tarps no bigger than 10’x 10’.
- Folding/beach
chairs only.
- Coolers,
which must be carried in by shoulder strap or single handle (no wheeled
coolers).
- All
personal items must be carried in clear bags only.
- After
inspection, small clutch bags/purses may be taken into the venue with the
clear bag.
PROHIBITED ITEMS AT THE ESPLANADE
· No coolers on wheels.
- No
backpacks.
- No
firearms, weapons, sharp objects, or fireworks.
- No
glass containers.
- No
cans.
- No
pre-mixed beverages.
- All
liquids will be carried in sealed clear plastic containers not to exceed 2
liters in size.
- No
grilling, propane tanks, or open flames.
- No
alcoholic beverages.
- No
bicycles will be allowed through the checkpoints into the Oval or
Island/Lagoon areas. Bicycles are allowed throughout the rest of the venue
but must not be left unattended. Bicycles attached or locked to security
fences, poles, or other structures may be subject to removal. (This
measure is being enacted for public safety and crowd management in the
event a speedy evacuation becomes necessary at the Esplanade.)
To find the most
up-to-date information, please visit https://www.bso.org/boston-pops-fireworks-spectacular/know-before-you-go.
Alert sent on
06/30/2022 at 3:43PM EDT
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