Blackstone gets $198K for work on historic bridge

Award made possible by MassDOT, Municipal Small Bridge Program

BLACKSTONE — The town has been awarded more than $198,000 through the Municipal Small Bridge Program for the reconstruction and preservation of the historic stone arch bridge on Elm Street, Town Administrator Daniel M. Keyes announced Tuesday.

Blackstone was one of 12 cities and towns selected as part of the second round of funding for the state program, which helps cities and towns replace or preserve bridges with spans between 10 and 20 feet that are not eligible for federal funding. In total , the town will receive $198,500.

The $50 million small bridge program provides reimbursable assistance to cities and towns over a 5-year span. The program will go from fiscal year 2017 through fiscal year 2021. Each municipality may receive up to $500,000 per year to aid in the replacement and preservation of municipally owned bridges.

The program provides for state reimbursement to municipalities of up to 100 percent of the total design and construction cost of eligible projects. As part of the program, MassDOT and each selected municipality enter into an agreement to reimburse funds for approved projects.

Keyes said the town contracted with engineering consultants Fuss & O’Neil to perform a town-wide bridge inspection, which included the dry stone masonry arch bridge. The town-owned bridge carries Elm Street, which is a minor arterial road and provides access to many residential homes as well as the Kimball sand quarry. The road is also a

main commuter route to Route 495 and Route 126.

Both the sand quarry and the power plant depend on the bridge and road for employee access, delivery and distribution. The bridge also serves as a school bus route. According to the inspection report, the bridge is badly deteriorated. Structural deficiencies include deformation of the spandrel walls; active leakage through the fill; and missing and ineffective traffic safety features.

The southern spandrel wall is the most deficient with missing stones, open joints and a lean up to nine inches outward from the arch ring. The north wall exhibits open joints along the lower portion of the wall and a bulge five inches proud of the arch ring.

Ice could be seen suspended from the arch barrel indicating leakage through the fill, which leads to loss of fines, shifting and sliding of arch stones, and potential settlement of the roadway above.

In addition, there are no transitions or guardrails to the east of the bridge to protect traffic from the low non-reinforced parapet blunt ends

According to town officials, the bridge and roadway are used by first responders, and is also the most direct route for emergency vehicles to the town’s fuel depot.

Town officials say closure of the bridge was not an option because it would detour lo- cal traffic up Bellingham Road over to Route 126, on very narrow roadways. Larger truck traffic would need to be directed south, with a total detour distance of 6 miles. These detours could increase emergency response time by 10 minutes.

On the other hand, reconstructing the bridge will prevent further deterioration that will lead to weight limits or bridge closures affecting emergency response, local economic activities, school transportation, commuters and residents.

The work, which will start this spring, will include removal and reconstruction of the spandrel walls and parapets; partial excavation of fill over the arch to install slabs for support of proper bridge rails; installation of transitions and approach guardrails; and installation of appropriate roadway base and repaving. All bridge work will utilize a signalized single lane to stage the construction.

The project will be designed by Fuss & O’Neill.

Keyes said the town submitted an application for funding assistance from the MasssDOT’s Municipal Small Bridge Program because the town does not have available funding for the improvements without compromising other road and bridge projects in the community.

“Much of this infrastructure falls outside existing funding programs and funding for these projects will come from local revenues,” he said.