Oh my goodness, it's been way too long since we checked out an American Water Landmark! Today we're visiting 1981 American Water Works Landmark designee Echo Bridge.
Located in Massachusetts, Echo Bridge connects Newton and Needham by spanning the Charles River. It was built in 1875-1877 by Boston Water Works. Their intent was to extend the Sudbury Aqueduct, which carried water from the Sudbury River to Boston, over the river to Newton. As you can see from the pictures, the bridge is a series of granite and brick arches. It was the second longest masonry arch built in the country at the time.
After renovations in 2006, the bridge is now open to visitors. It is located in the state park Hemlock Gorge Reservation. You can check out the arches from below and check out the namesake echos. Then you can walk across the bridge for beautiful views. The bridge overlooks Hemlock Gorge, a very natural Charles River which is overgrown with hemlock trees.
While Echo Bridge served it's original purpose for many years, it became obsolete when the Sudbury Aqueduct was taken out of commission. In the spirit of good redundant systems, the aqueduct is still maintained as reserve backup. In May 2010, it was actually reactivated in a state of emergency and was used to carry water to 38 communities.
