Two weeks after trains crossing Gloucester's Annisquam River drawbridge were ordered to go slower, plans to replace the century-old bridge are gaining speed, with designs for a new bridge about 30 percent complete, according to MBTA officials.
The bridge, identified in a 2010 safety study as the being in the worst shape of all across the Massachusetts Bay commuter rail system, was placed under a speed restriction in mid-January after an inspection found a need to temporarily shut down one of the two tracks crossing it for emergency repairs.
The track reopened hours later, but Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials put in a 10 mph limit — half the usual 20 mph — to ease wear and tear on the structure, and that limit has remained in place ever since, though officials say the bridge is safe.
Inbound trains crossing the bridge, off the ends of Emerson Avenue and Whittemore Street, have been observed coming to a virtual full stop before crossing the bridge at a speed considerably slower than 10 mph as well.
"By reducing the speed of the train, it reduces the strain on the bridge," said Brian Brenner, an employee of the Boston-based engineering firm of Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, which is working on the designs for a replacement bridge for the MBTA.
Fay, Spofford & Thorndike was given a contract to design repairs for the bridge in September 2009, but inspections conducted shortly afterwards determined that the bridge needs to be replaced rather than repaired. The engineering firm is now expected to finish the plans by September 2012, and the MBTA hopes to begin construction by the spring of 2013.
"This needs to be done," said state Sen. Bruce Tarr, who described a meeting he hosted with MBTA officials last week as "very productive."
"This isn't a situation that lends itself to a piecemeal solution," said Tarr.
To counter fears that the bridge is unsafe, the MBTA has said that quarterly inspection are carried out by Fay, Spofford & Thorndike, and that engineers working on designing the new bridge are on site regularly to see if any new concerns pop up. The reduced speed limit, however, will remain in place until the new bridge is built.
Construction will take an estimated 17 months once it starts, but Brenner says the new bridge can be built without shutting down the existing bridge for any time longer than the occasional weekend.
"The plan calls for building half the bridge on the south side, then routing the trains over the new construction, then finishing the rest of the bridge," said Brenner, who cautioned that the plans are still subject to change.
"We're taking advantage of the fact we can use just one track for service," said Brenner.
The new bridge will use concrete trestles to replace the current wooden ones, he said.
"It lasts longer," said Brenner when asked about the change in materials. "The previous bridge had a problem with fire, since it was made of wood, and concrete would eliminate that problem," said Brenner.
The opening position is also going to be reversed, with the controls placed on the western side of the river from where they are now located.
According to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo, developing the design for the new bridge will cost $2.5 million, with construction costs budgeted for $31.1 million. Adding in $2.5 million for inspections, $2 million in a force account and $3.8 million in contingency funds, the total projected budget has been pegged at $42 million.
Despite the fact that the MBTA is looking at a $161 million fiscal 2013 deficit — and considering cutting commuter rail service on the weekends perhaps as early as July 1 — Pesaturo insisted that the MBTA will be able to pay for the repairs.
Tarr sponsored an amendment to the state supplemental funding bill that would make sure the MBTA has the money to pay for repairs like these, but puts a moratorium on expansions such as that proposed for the Green Line in Somerville until funding mechanisms are in place. The amendment has not been added to the bill yet.
"I don't think they should be planning new projects until this is fixed," said Tarr.
Stephanie Bergman can be reached at 978-283-7000 x3451, or sbergman@gloucestertimes.com.
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