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Joanne Ray

Fore River Bridge-Will We Ever Get It?
April 22, 2008

South Shore, Mass: South Shore motorists have grown familiar with the temporary bridge that spans the Fore River on Route 3A. And after five years of traveling over the crooked steel structure, many are wondering when - or if - a permanent bridge connecting Weymouth and Quincy will ever be built. The answer: It will, but not any time soon. It will likely be 2020 before the "temporary" bridge is retired and a new, permanent one is ready for service, according to MassHighway spokesman Adam Hurtubise. Design work has begun on the new bridge, with construction to start in 2016 and estimated to take four years. The estimated cost is $150 million. The bridge will be either a vertical lift bridge (similar to the one there now), officials say, or a drawbridge-style structure known as a double-leaf bascule. The exact style will be determined during the design phase. Meanwhile, more than 36,000 vehicles a day continue to use the temporary vertical-lift bridge, that spans a busy shipping channel. Whenever an oil tanker or barge needs to pass by, the mid-section of the bridge raises straight up, halting traffic for at least 15 minutes, and often longer. This happens about 550 times a year, or roughly 10 times per week, much to the chagrin of Route 3A commuters and area residents.

Posted by Joanne Ray on April 22, 2008 | Comments (0)