MASSDOT Says Work To Resume on Wickford Bridge

Work will resume - finally - on the Wickford Bridge starting Monday.

Framingham Town Manager Bob Halpin, said he was informed by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) and the Framingham legislative delegation work would resume Monday, May 12.

Halpin said he was told once work resumes, the project should be completed between 6 to 8 weeks. "I'm hoping the six weeks," said Halpin to Framingham Patch Tuesday.
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.

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

Last month, 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.


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.

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.