MassCops - Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network, A Mass Police Web Portal

Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network

Massachusetts Police News, Information and Discussions on MassCops

Pages: 1

Main Page Lane closed on deteriorating Route 1A bridge
(Click here to view the original thread on the MassCops Message Board)

Posted by: DeputyFife

Published: 05/02/2007
Lane closed on deteriorating Route 1A bridge
By Stephen Tait
Staff Writer

NEWBURY - The crumbling Route 1A bridge spanning the Parker River is in such disrepair, recent inspections have found, that state and local officials called an emergency meeting yesterday to work out construction details - and to ensure the public's safety.

Starting this morning, the roadway will be reduced to one lane over the center of the bridge, which remains the most stable. The sides are a safety hazard to drivers since the beams there are in such poor condition, officials said.
MassHighway officials said the cement beams, which support the deck of the bridge, did not fare well during this winter's freeze-and-thaw cycle.
"It did indeed deteriorate significantly since November," said Patricia Leavenworth, the District 4 highway manager, referring to the last time the bridge was inspected.
The bridge, which has been slated for work for years, is on a six-month inspection cycle because of serious disrepair, Leavenworth said. She did stress, though, that the bridge is still strong enough to support vehicles, and local drivers should not worry about the bridge's integrity.
The 300-foot-long bridge serves as an important link for travel between Newburyport and Ipswich. Since its construction in 1930, it has had only minor, stopgap repairs.
It is visually apparent the bridge is falling apart, as seen from the crumbling concrete, the netting slung underneath to keep falling debris from hitting passing boats and the deteriorating concrete pillars that are exposed to their steel beams.
State officials have labeled the bridge "structurally deficient." Since November, the condition of the bridge has grown worse.
Aaron Yonker, the resident engineer for MassHighway, said at first only the east side of the bridge seemed to be deteriorating, but recent inspections showed both sides were in need of repair. He said the majority of the problems come during winter when water gets into the cracks of the cement, freezes and then thaws again.
"There were some signs that caused alarms," he said.
Yesterday's meeting included state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, Newbury selectmen Vincent Russo and Joe Storey, Rowley selectmen Chairman Lane Bourne, several MassHighway officials, a representative from state Rep. Harriet Stanley's office, and police and fire officials from both Rowley and Newbury.
It remained unclear at the meeting, which was in the police administration trailer behind Town Hall, how long construction would take. But officials did say the bridge will almost surely be shut down completely in coming months, and construction is estimated to cost about $14.1 million.

"This bridge is in need of total replacement," Leavenworth said.
For now, the bridge will be closed down to one lane, and police details will direct traffic until temporary traffic lights can be installed, Tarr said. Newbury will not have to pay for the police details.
Tarr said there will be no disruption to police service, no problems for fire engines and no problems for school buses. He added, though, that there will likely be a time when the bridge will be shut down to all traffic.
"There will be another phase that we are planning right now," he said.
The bridge has been scheduled for construction for years, and Leavenworth said they have been waiting for the U.S. Coast Guard to sign off on permits for the bridge's piers, which support the beams and go into the water, before construction can begin.
Coast Guard approval is needed because the Parker River, which the bridge spans, is considered to be an active navigational waterway. The Coast Guard reviews bridge designs to make sure they will not impede boat traffic.

The Bridge
Where: Route 1A spanning Parker River
Length: 300 feet
Beams: 5
Piers: 4
Estimated cost: $14.1 million
Closure: Down to one lane today; full closure expected in months to come

Posted by: dcs2244

All the bridges out west are in worse shape. No doubt there will be another "big dig" project to fix all the bridges back east and deprive the rest of the state of highway maintenance projects for another 15 years...

Sorry, back-easters...my heart pumps lukewarm urine for you and your bridge.

</IMG>

Posted by: CJIS

That lane will be closed for a long time if it's the same people whom are working on the Rte 53 bridge in Hanover. That has had a lane closed for more than a year and a half.

Posted by: Inspector

Many years of prop. two and a half and nasty "don't tax me" activities are finally coming home to roost. When are people going to realize that the U.S. citizens now actually pay less combined taxes than any other civilized country in the world and that the very rich citizens of our country lead the middle class around by the nose screaming "no new taxes" which actually benefits their own interests while state and city buildings, roads and services crumble. This is not a question of western Massachusetts vs Eastern Massachusetts or anything close. It is a matter of waking up and realizing services and infrastructure preservation cost money and the citizens should pay for those benefits based on flat-rate taxation.

Posted by: dcs2244

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inspector

Many years of prop. two and a half and nasty "don't tax me" activities are finally coming home to roost. When are people going to realize that the U.S. citizens now actually pay less combined taxes than any other civilized country in the world and that the very rich citizens of our country lead the middle class around by the nose screaming "no new taxes" which actually benefits their own interests while state and city buildings, roads and services crumble. This is not a question of western Massachusetts vs Eastern Massachusetts or anything close. It is a matter of waking up and realizing services and infrastructure preservation cost money and the citizens should pay for those benefits based on flat-rate taxation.

No, this is a matter of realizing that the federal government steals our money and redistributes it to other states: i.e. Marxism. Really, the whole "big dig" thing was unnecessary, as really, who cares what happens back east and why should we monetarily support an infrastructure we will never use? You want to live in the back east sewer, you pay for it.

If you want to throw your lot in with the omnipotent government...move to China, North Korea or Cuba, bolshevik.

ma police, boston ma police, massachusetts police, massachusetts police, mass state police, mass police, ma, mass, massachusetts, massachusetts, massachutes, massachusetts law, massachusetts polece, police, officer, police officer, cops, police gear, law enforcement, police duty gear, state police, sheriff, law, police supply, police agency directory, police agency, police department, traffic officer, police dept, state trooper, dispatcher, massachusetts county sheriff, massachusetts sheriff, massachusetts department of corrections, ma doc, doc, dept of corrections, police information, civil service, ma civil service, massachusetts crime, police training, police academy, ma police academy, massachusetts officers, masscop, masscops, mpa, bpa, ibpoa, police association, massachusetts police news, massachusetts crime news, mass most wanted, police career information, police patrol, police administration, police books, crime scene training, police discussion, crime discussions, cops

About MassCops, the home for Massachusetts law enforcement.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network opened in 1998 and is now a part of the New England Police Network The site is a pro-police discussion forum intended for sworn police officers and civilian law enforcement officials as well as those interested in pursuing a career in law enforcement here in Massachusetts.

The goal of The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network is to provide an informal network of law enforcement officials here in Massachusetts for educational and informational purposes.

The forum covers many topics such as Police Related News Articles, Agency & Profession Discussions, Police Training as well as Law Enforcement Career Information.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Network and The New England Police Network (NEPN) and it's network sites are privately owned websites/domains and are not affiliated with or endorsed by any government association or agency.

MassCops (masscops.com) and (masscop.com) are privately owned are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Massachusetts Coalition of Police (masscop.org)

3 4 5 6 7 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 49 50 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108