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.
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.
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.
Photo courtesy of NHDOT
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.
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.
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.
SPS New England is nearing completion at the City of Boston Glenwood Avenue Pedestrian Bridges in Hyde Park. The new timber decking was completed last week following structural steel repairs and bridge painting that began in June 2023. The bridge will be opened this fall for pedestrian traffic.
During the MBTA‘s recent 10-day Green Line shutdown from August 2nd – August 11th, the Railroad-SPS JV completed various track and site improvements in Boston’s Allston neighborhood along Commonwealth Ave. Our work included over 2,200 feet of full depth track replacement, including more than 450 feet of grade crossing replacement at Warren Street and Allston Street. The JV also installed 1,600 feet of new track drainage pipe, replaced 2,000 feet of restraining rail, reset hundreds of granite curbs, installed 4 new duct banks to support MBTA traction power, and installed new asphalt platforms at Warren and Allston stations. This extensive work resulted in 8 speed restrictions being removed from the Green Line B Branch. The work was completed successfully with the help of our subcontractors and continuous support from the City of Boston and various MBTA departments.
The Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority announced that the Dorchester Avenue Bridge in Boston is under construction.
The bridge, which is located between Von Hillern and Kemp streets, was built in 1925 and rehabilitated in 1975. The steel bridge carries vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists over the Red Line, the Commuter Rail Old Colony Lines and the Cabot Yard maintenance tracks.
Photo courtesy of MBTA Customer and Employee Experience Department
It is being replaced to protect its structural integrity and ensure reliable service.
Work began on the project in the summer of 2022. The budget for the project is $47,125,079 and is provided by federal formula funds and some MBTA matching funds, according to Lisa Battison, a spokesperson of the MBTA.
The lead contractor on the project is SPS New England of Salisbury, Mass., and Select Demo Services of Salem, N.H., is the demolition contractor.
“Dorchester Avenue over the MBTA Red Line, Cabot Yard Spur and Old Colony Main Line consists of replacement of the existing three-span highway bridge with a new, two-span precast reinforced concrete deck panel slab and cast in place closure pours, sidewalks and barriers, on weathering steel multi-girder superstructure,” according to SPS New England. “A new pile supported abutment will be constructed behind the existing reinforced concrete rigid frame south abutment of the south span, using drilled and driven pipe piles and a reinforced cast-in-place concrete cap.
“A new pile supported pier will be constructed between the existing granite block south abutment of the north span and the reinforced concrete rigid frame north abutment of the middle span, using drilled and driven pipe piles and a reinforced cast-in-place concrete cap,” SPS added. “The existing granite block north abutment of the north span will be reused, and a new precast reinforced concrete cap will be placed on top to support the new superstructure.”
To relocate the existing utilities from the existing Dorchester Avenue bridge, a prefabricated temporary utility bridge will be erected on a reinforced concrete foundation supported by drilled micropiles. Work also includes the rehabilitation of an existing 300-ft. long bin wall by installing soil nails and a reinforced concrete face.
SPS recently completed high priority overhead concrete and pile repairs at the Bass River Bridge in Yarmouth. Tight access, tides, growing repairs, and an expedited repair schedule made this project a challenge for everyone involved. The project started in January and was completed a few days prior to the Fourth of July weekend. It took a huge effort from SPS Superintendents, Foreman, Labor, Operations, Marine Division and Project Management . Mark Rousseau (Site Superintendent) was supported by Joe Harvey, Joe Ford, Nick Terenzoni, Ben Terenzoni, Jimmy Zechello, John Desimone, Jason Williams, Jeremiah Connolly, Chris Pickford, and very determined crew. Congratulations to everyone who made this one a success.
The SPS-Walsh Joint Venture crews continue I-90 mainline Stage 1 bridge construction. Pier cofferdam construction in the Charles River has completed and crews have been moving forward with driven piles, tremie seal, concrete pile cap and lower column placements of Pier 2. This work has included 400 cubic yards of recently placed concrete for the Pier 2 bridge foundation elements.
Kudos to the crew for their hard work and dedication. It’s efforts like these that lay the foundation for not just structures, but also for strong teamwork and project success.
Shout out to Benevento Companies for delivering a quality product and Independent Concrete Pumping Corp. for their support in the placement operation.
