Seabrook-Hampton Project Update: Crews have finished the northern bulkhead to enable access for bridge construction in Hampton. We have shifted operations to the southern workzone in Seabrook and set up the job site and mobilized in our HC 150 Crawler Crane. Our focus is installing the southern abutment cofferdam sheet pile wall and the southern bulkhead to allow access for bridge construction in Seabrook.
Thank you to Laborers Local 976, Piledrivers and Divers Local 56, Iron Workers Local 7, Carpenters Local 349, and Operating Engineers Local 4 for their participation and attendance yesterday morning signing a partnership agreement with OSHA. The partnership agreement signifies this group’s commitment to a safe and healthful jobsite at the NH1A Over Hampton River Bridge Replacement Project.
We look forward to a safe and successful project!
From ConstructionEquipmentGuide.com
September 19, 2024
SPS New England of Salisbury, Mass., is the lead contractor after offering a low bid of $107.5 million.
The long-planned project will be paid with 80 percent federal funds with the state’s 20 percent match coming from turnpike toll credits, according to Jennifer Reczek, a New Hampshire Department of Transportation bridge engineer.
The bascule bridge was built in 1949 and replaced a wooden bridge originally constructed for trollies and cars, known as the “Mile-Long Bridge,” according to NHDOT. It has been rehabilitated multiple times, in 1963, 1978, 1983, 1990, 2002 and 2010. Emergency repairs to the bascule span mechanical were undertaken in 2018.
According to SPS New England, the project will replace the State Red List Neil R. Underwood Bridge that carries NH 1A (Ocean Boulevard) over the Hampton River at the inlet to Hampton Harbor. The project limit begins on NH 1A in the town of Seabrook approximately 1,500 ft. south of the proposed bridge and continues northerly on NH 1A 3,900 ft. across the bridge to a point approximately 100 ft. south of the intersection with Ashworth Avenue in the town of Hampton.
The existing bridge is 1,193 ft. between abutments and consists of 13-spans with a moveable single-leaf bascule span in the center at the navigational channel. The bridge width is 26 ft. between curbs. The 150-ft.-wide federal navigational channel is reduced to 40 ft. as it passes beneath the movable bridge span.
“The proposed bridge will be a fixed high-level steel girder structure on a new horizontally curved alignment west of the existing bridge. The bridge will consist of seven spans and have a length of 1,300 feet between abutments. The bridge width will be 38 feet between two curbs [two 11-foot travel lanes and 8-foot shoulders] and include two 6-foot sidewalks with overlooks at Piers 2 and 5. The bridge will accommodate the full 150-foot-wide channel with a vertical clearance of approximately 48 feet. The improvements to the navigational channel will provide clearance for all regular waterway users, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredging equipment that is currently too large to transit the existing bridge for the harbor channel to the west,” SPS New England said.
Over the past 6 months, SPS performed a significant amount of work to replace the Dorchester Avenue Bridge over the MBTA Red Line and Old Colony Commuter Rail Tracks. As of September 23, 2024, the bridge has been reopened to pedestrian and vehicle traffic.
Railroad-SPS New England worked 24 hours a day from September 6th to September 29th on a shutdown of the MBTA Red Line between JFK/UMass Station and Braintree Station with Railroad-SPS crews working between Tenean Beach and Wollaston Station. Railroad-SPS crews replaced over 7000 ties, just under 13000 feet of Rail, destressed over 34500 feet of rail, replaced the Linden Street Truck Pad, performed various switch work, as well has dressed the track with just under 3000 Tons of Ballast. The work performed by Railroad-SPS helped to lift (9) total speed restrictions and allow trains to travel at speeds up to 50 mph for the first time since the track was built.
Wayne Capolupo of SPS New England, right, was named a community champion during the annual Our Neighbors’ Table breakfast Tuesday at the Blue Ocean Event Center in Salisbury. Also named a community champion was former Daily News columnist Charlene Dolan. An estimated 250 people attended the food pantry’s fundraiser.
The Railroad-SPS New England JV recently completed a 13-day surge on the Orange Line as part of the MBTA’s ongoing Track Improvement Program, removing 6 speed restrictions between Jackson Square Station and the Mass Ave Tunnel Portal. Our work included various concrete repairs to 46 direct fixation track panels, core drilling and replacement of more than 130 track shoulder posts, over 11,000 feet of rail replacement including 64 thermite welds, replacement of 250 timber ties, and nearly 2000 feet of tamping. The JV also replaced various special track components at the Ruggles Crossovers, removing a longstanding movement restriction for Orange Line trains traveling through the switches. Our work was completed on-time with the help of SPS’s Bridge Deck & Joint Repair crews joining the track repair team.
Subcontractors: Fischbach & Moore, WL French, Tiabbi Equipment, CJ Shaughnessy Crane, Vanasse & Associates, Liro-Hill Group
Stage 1 progress by the SPS-Walsh Joint Venture team continues with Mainline bridge pier construction, abutment foundation pile driving, drilled micropile installation and MSE wall construction all in preparation for upcoming structural steel erection. The project’s second access trestle is beginning to be built across the Charles River. Work at the MBTA bridge has been ongoing to extend the bridge piers for upcoming superstructure replacement. Ramp A/B Bridge raised median demolition has commenced for upcoming traffic phase flip.
We are thrilled to share that DWW SPS-JV, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MADOT), has officially opened the much-anticipated bridge!
This milestone marks the successful completion of a project that began on July 12, 2023, and wrapped up ahead of schedule on November 15, 2024, after 16 months of dedicated effort.
Our team worked tirelessly to ensure the bridge was constructed to the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and engineering excellence. The project not only enhances connectivity in the region but also reflects our commitment to delivering infrastructure that serves the community and supports local growth.
We extend our gratitude to MADOT, our partners, and the local community for their support throughout the project. Here’s to many years of safe travels over this incredible structure!
From New Hampshire Good Roads | Winter 2025 Issue
This project will replace the State Red List bridge (Neil R. Underwood Bridge) that carries NH 1A over the Hampton River at the inlet to Hampton Harbor.
The existing bascule bridge, constructed in 1949, replaced a wooden bridge originally constructed for trollies and cars. The bridge has been rehabilitated multiple times, most recently in 2010 and again in 2018 for emergency repairs to the bascule span mechanical system.
Click here to read the full article.
