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City removes 23 street lights after woman is injured by falling light pole on Evelyn Moakley Bridge

Pedestrians crossed the Moakley Bridge on Wednesday. City workers removed 23 street lights from the bridge as a precaution after a 35-year-old woman was injured when she was struck by a light pole Tuesday afternoon.Lane Turner/Globe Staff

City workers removed 23 street lights from the Evelyn Moakley Bridge as a precaution after a 35-year-old woman was struck by a falling light pole on Tuesday, officials said.

The woman was on the sidewalk of the Seaport Boulevard bridge around 3 p.m. when she was hurt, police said. Police said they were told by a doctor who provided her emergency care that she was in stable condition.

The bridge was closed to pedestrians and public works crews removed the fallen light and assessed the condition of other street lights on the bridge, officials said. After the inspection, crews removed 23 street lights “out of an abundance of caution.”

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Crumbling concrete revealed rusting rebar beneath a light pole, many of which showed similar wear. A light pole on the Moakley Bridge fell Tuesday, injuring a woman.Lane Turner/Globe Staff

“The City of Boston prioritizes the safety of its residents and visitors, and in the interest of safety, the sidewalks and bike path were closed and vehicular traffic reduced to one lane in each direction until Public Works crews could evaluate all street lights,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. “The area is now fully reopen and safe for pedestrians and drivers.”

The bridge and street lights were built in the 1990s by the state as part of the Big Dig. The city’s public works department is responsible for street light maintenance in Boston, officials said.


John R. Ellement can be reached at john.ellement@globe.com. Follow him @JREbosglobe.