Framingham Town Manager: 'Significant Progress' Being Made on Wickford Bridge

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin said "significant progress" is being made on the Wickford Bridge.

Halpin told Framingham Selectmen a "reopening is anticipated before the 
end of July."

The Saxonville bridge is a state project that has had delay after delay after delay.

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is overseeing the $7 million bridge repair project.

The bridge was closed on March 18 in 2013.

Originally, the bridge was only to have been closed for 4 months. 

MassDOT is overseeing the $7 million bridge repair project, that has seen delay after delay. The bridge was closed on March 18 in 2013.

MassDOT reasons for the stalled completion of the bridge ranged in 2013 from delays in construction of the the steel bridge beams to the asphalt plants closing in December for the season to weather issues.

In April, Framingham Selectmen Chair Charlie Sisitsky told his fellow board members he has been reading emails that indicate the state and the contractor are having issues; and thus no work has begun on the Saxonville bridge yet this spring.

In mid-May, the contractor resumed work on the bridge. The state then said the work would be complete in 6-8 weeks.

***

Bad news for Saxonville, once the Wickford Bridge is completed, the Central Street Bridge repairs are expected to start. 

MASSDOT has re-bid the Central Street project, after having issues with the contractor on the Wickford Bridge. A tentative timeline is for the Central Street bridge to close in late August.

In February, Framingham Town Engineer William Sedewitz said MassDOT plans to close the Central Street bridge "likely in April 2014" and it is "not scheduled to re-open until June 2015."  

The delay in the Wickford bridge completion, meant a delay in the closing of the Central Street bridge.

"It is 14-month construction schedule," said the town engineer of the Central Street bridge project.