A locked chain-link gate closes off the Northern Avenue pedestrian bridge spanning the Fort Point Channel in Boston.
It's the century old bridge that, when usable, would illuminate in different LED lights, sandwiched between the Federal Courthouse and the James Hook Lobster Company.
Now, it's shut down, so deteriorated, it's deemed beyond repair by the city.
"I live in the North End and I work over here so I use it daily," said Boston resident Greg Scarmo.
"It's a great way to get to downtown Boston and experience the nightlife," said Brian Sawyer of Somerville.
Vivien Li, president of the Boston Harbor Association, says nearby developers were "besides themselves," when the bridge closed abruptly.
The Boston Harbor Association, has long worked to make aesthetic improvements to the bridge, built during the Industrial Era.
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"Look all around here, this is the link between the South Boston innovation district and downtown Boston and the Rose Kennedy Greenway," said Li.
The bridge also closed to traffic back in 1997.
However, the city says a "swing-span" will remain open right now to accommodate maritime use.
The Boston Harbor Association hopes the city can make repairs to keep it viable for pedestrians.
They also bring up past talk of the possibly putting cars back on a new bridge, so federal transportation dollars can be used to fund it.
Li said, "I don't think any of us would encourage people to walk on a bridge that's unsafe, but hopefully very soon there can be short-term improvements, or if not the city start the permitting process for a new bridge."
In a statement, the City of Boston says they're committed to balancing the needs of public safety and preservation interests.
