MassDOT Fast Tracks Emergency Drawbridge Repairs
The Massachusetts Dept. of Transportation is scrambling to reopen a key Boston-area drawbridge after the discovery of deck panel cracks forced an emergency closure of the structure on Oct. 15.
The bridge, a two-lane temporary steel structure spanning the Saugus River was installed in 2013 to maintain traffic on State Route 107 between the towns of Saugus and Lynn during reconstruction of the Belden G. Bly Bridge, which was closed that same year after the $12-million temporary crossing was complete, according to MassDOT. Along with a crack in a structural deck panel, the agency says inspectors identified several other deck panel assemblies that require replacement.
Although initially estimated to be closed for up to two weeks, local media reports say MassDOT is hopeful the round-the-clock repair effort will allow the allow the temporary crossing re-opened by Oct. 20. The structure’s drawbridge remains operational to accommodate marine traffic during the outage.
The disruption comes as SPS New England nears completion of a five-year, $99.3-million project to replace the original Bly Bridge, also known as the Fox Hill Drawbridge, with a three-span, four-lane single-leaf bascule drawbridge. Set to open in 2026, the crossing will feature a 77-ft-long movable span that rotates on a heel-trunnion, according to engineer-of-record STV. Because of the roadway’s proximity relative to high tide, counterweight and mechanical equipment are located overhead, thereby separating mechanical and electrical systems from the water without the need for expensive enclosed foundation pits.
The project also includes new abutments and retaining walls with driven pile foundations, reconstruction of the bridge approaches, integration of sidewalks and bicycle lanes and reconfiguration of a nearby intersection to improve traffic flow. An 18-in-dia. water main is being relocated to a trench along the inboard side of the new bridge. Once the new bridge is open, SPS will remove the temporary crossing as the project’s final phase.
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