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State Police Release Security Rules For Esplanade 4th Of July Celebration

BOSTON (CBS) – The annual Fourth of July festivities on the Esplanade are just around the corner and Mass. State Police have released important information for those attending or traveling in the area on July 3 and 4.

The information concerns prohibited items, road closures and traffic restrictions, pedestrian access points into the Esplanade, boating restrictions and guidelines, and the state police Text-A-Tip line for reporting suspicious activity.

Prohibited Items
No backpacks, shopping bags or similar type containers may be carried onto the Esplanade, and all carried items are subject to inspection.

This year bicycles will not be allowed into secure areas (the Oval and the Lagoon/Island areas). Bicycles will be allowed throughout the rest of the venue, but must not be left unattended and may not be attached or locked to fences, poles or other structures. Those that are may be subject to removal.
Read Full Details

Road Closures – July 2, 3 and 4
All road closures will remain in effect until the Department of Conservation and Recreation has an opportunity to clean the roadways.

Due to ongoing construction on the Longfellow Bridge, there will be no fireworks viewing allowed from that bridge.
Read: Full Details

Guidelines For Boaters
This year, no boats will be allowed between the Massachusetts Avenue bridge and the barges because the location of the fireworks barges has been moved slightly westward, closer to the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge. Boaters must be east of the safety zone and west of the Massachusetts Avenue bridge.
Read: Full Details

Access Points
The checkpoints at the Esplanade Oval and Island/Lagoon will open July 3 at 5 p.m. or at a time designated by state police. On July 4, the checkpoints will open at 9 a.m. or at a time designated by state police.
Read: Full Details

Text-A-Tip
State police again have established a dedicated Text-A-Tip line for the Esplanade celebration. Anyone at the event or in the area of the Esplanade who sees anyone or anything suspicious or out-of-the ordinary, or anything that just doesn't look right, is urged to contact police by either calling 911 or texting a tip. The Text-A-Tip numeric address for July 3 and 4 is 67283. Texters should then enter the characters B4 as the first two characters of their text.

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