on behalf of the company to secure a width of ; however, the city instead chose a width. Preliminary work began in late 1899. A temporary bridge was funded by the gas company ($14,000) and the Lynn and Boston ($7,000). A contract for $21,471 for the construction of the new draw span was issued on February 26, 1900. The new span opened on September 25, 1900, with a total cost around $75,000 () Another replacement of the north draw span began in early 1912, with the temporary bridge completed that August. The new steel truss swing span – claimed to be the largest bridge span in New England – opened on May 28, 1913. The span rotated on 64 wheels on a diameter circular rail. It was long and wide, and could rotate to provide two -wide channels large enough for oceangoing ships. As part of the $425,000 project (), the wooden pile approaches were raised to eliminate a slope from the Charlestown viaduct. The city planned to replace the south draw span shortly afterwards at a nearly equal cost. On March 14, 1914, the temporary span from the north draw was moved in one piece – using the tide to lift the span on lighters – to serve as the new temporary south draw. The temporary span, with sharp reverse curves at both ends, remained in use longer than planned. A $521,830 contract for the permanent span () was issued on April 26, 1922, and construction began on May 2. The new bridge opened on April 21, 1924. It was long, with a four-leaf bascule draw long and wide, widening the channel to . By early 1934, the north section of Chelsea Bridge was in need of repairs. On June 27, 1934, traffic on the north draw was restricted to vehicles under except for streetcars, using only one lane in each direction. The century-old drawtenders' house nearly collapsed into the river on July 23, 1934, as piles supporting it sank into the riverbed. A $292,222 contract () for repairs to the north span was issued on October 26, 1934. The bridge closed to all traffic effective January 14, 1935. Initial plans had called for streetcar service by the Eastern Massachusetts Street Railway (successor to the Lynn and Boston) to be maintained during construction. However, the Eastern Mass instead operated buses between Chelsea Square and Haymarket Square via the Meridian