I drive over the alford st bridge multiple times a day. And as far as I can tell, there have been stretches of months where zero work has been done on the bridge or its surrounding area - when you don't see any of the workers vehicles there then you know nothing is being done. To say this is a utility issue is bogus. Why don't you give us the details? I'm sure there are plenty of other things that could get done in the meantime while the utility issues are worked out that would speed up the completion of this project. It's almost like they decided to take the months of October through February off.

Another item for
"Ridiculous.com"

The North Washington St bridge is not 1 lane in each direction, it's 2 lanes. It is the people that don't know how to share the road and drive in a lane that make it 1 lane.

The replacement of the North Washington Street Bridge is going to be a necessary nightmare. Anyone want to place bets on the over/under on it getting finished by 2030?

I walk across the NW St. bridge everyday, and everyday I wonder how much more of a beating that very old little bridge can take before it ends up in the drink. Perhaps I'm bring overly pessimistic, but it need seriously TLC stat! It can't wait.

I agree with Matthew. I love that bridge! It needs some tender loving care and then some serious bridge work. I hope The Patch will keep us up to speed on exactly what is planned and when. I have lived here long enough to know that it is not unusual to awaken some morning and find our beloved bridge gone. Gone, baby, gone!! Keep us posted, please. Does anyone know if there is a "watch dog" committee already in place? If not, maybe we should start one with anyone who is
interested in making sure the bridge is saved from the those people who take buildings, etc down and then come up with some half (sic) explanation as to why with no input from the community. Tom Cunha, where are you??

Jim - The bridge must be saved, not replaced! I think of it as historic. What is the age of it? Does anyone know? This is where having Helen O'Neil comes in handy.

I say invest in some sort of device that will float because we are and have been being put in a gridlock so the only way to get out at some point may be via this type of access. Either that or we are pushed off the map our 1 square mile. Where else in the city are they sitting ducks like us???

I drive over the North Washington Bridge during the week for work. If I get stuck in traffic on the grated portion, I pray that it's not going to give out under my car!

Who is interested in "Save our Bridge"?
Let me know and I will try to get a group started and have a meeting with DOT and see what their plans may be. We do need to do something before it is too late! Anyone on board for this? Let me know. The bridge has real character and yes, some lights need replacing.

Mary, you misread my jest. I'm not at all opposed to restoring the bridge. But unless the City and MassDOT get their act together, we are going to have no choice but to replace it. You can only neglect 110+ year old bridges for so long. The status quo is ridiculous. And for the record, I like the bridge as well -- I walk across it twice a day. I'm more horrified of the necessary repairs or replacements that will be required once our officials finally get around to addressing it (and judging by the state of most bridges throughout the Commonwealth, it might be awhile).

Jim - Are you interested in helping to save it? You know if it is ever replaced it will be a non-descript anywhere USA type. Let me know. Thanks for getting back to me with what you meant in your comment.

Mary Kay - Are you advocating keeping the bridge as constructed or more interested in creating a new bridge with a similar style?

The cost of rehabbing this bridge will be more than replacing it. As an example, this was a movable bridge that is no longer used (I think the last time saw it moved was in the 60's). The center section was designed for the overhead trolley then Orange line subway. Making a new bridge with just one center structure would be safer and easier to navigate for the cars and trucks and not making it movable would also make it less complicated to rebuild.

Don't get me wrong here, I like the style of the bridge and would be interested in a new one that was of the same type and construction. I agree It needs to have some flair.

Now the rub, how long can we live without it (half built)? How can it be replaced quickly and yet be well built. The reconstruction of the Alford Street bridge is taking just too long! We couldn't live more than a year of impact.

Dan - I just wrote a comment and the message was too long so I could not submit it.
In a nutshell, I think the top of the bridge should be preserved and the surface replaced with 2 lanes each way and one side for pedestrians and one side for bikes.

The Mystic River Bridge aka The Tobin Bridge does repairs all the time without too much disruption and that bridge gets a lot more traffic. I remember the el through C-town. I rode the el until it was replaced and built as the C College Stop. There are others ways to enter C-town without going over that bridge. Also, what about the repairs being done during the night. That's not unheard of in the construction world.

The top is classic and it is ours! I don't know if you lived here during the BRA hearings. If not, you should read about it. They led people to believe that they were going to have input into the process when in fact, by the time they arrived, everything had been decided.

If anyone else would like to comment or have some thoughts regarding this bridge,
pls let me know. Grazie!!

Mary Kay - I did some checking with a friend that works for a road construction firm.

The bridge deck needs replacing (waffle grates) which are no longer allowed in this type of bridge, so rehab is not likely. To add to this structure of the bridge can't support the heavier concrete panels so unless we can get a waver due to its unique nature of bridge it's likely to get rebuilt.

I don't think they will limit the road deck to be only two lanes each way Vs the three they have now. I too would like to see a better bike lane solution (some level of protection from the car/truck traffic) that doesn't threaten pedestrian traffic either.

Dan - I think it is called a "center swing" bridge. I need to look up the technical name.
I also need to contact MassDOT to see their plans. There is a precedent for this and it is the Congress St. Bridge. However, that is only for pedestrians. There was a up "to do" to save that bridge. This is a different situation as it is for vehicles mainly and not just for bikes/people. I will do some research and get back to this site toward the end of this week or beginning of next.