Contract awarded to replace four South Coast Rail bridges

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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The President Avenue bridge is one of four that will be replaced.

Cardi Corporation has been awarded a $42-million contract for the replacement of four bridges in New Bedford and Fall River along the future South Coast Rail Line in Massachusetts. Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) said the improvements will advance South Coast Rail, while providing immediate benefit to the active freight operations in the region.

 

“Residents of the South Coast have been waiting for 20 years for a reliable transit system that connects conveniently to Boston and everything in between,” said Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick. “These infrastructure investments will help us make it happen.”

As part of the early action projects associated with the South Coast Rail Project, the project will replace three Fall River bridges and the Wamsutta Bridge in New Bedford.

In June, the MassDOT Board of Directors approved a contract award of $210 million over 10 years to the joint venture of Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Corporation. The contract officially moved the South Coast Rail project from planning to construction. The Board granted $12 million in first year funding to begin program management, early design development and environmental permitting, with additional awards in succeeding years up to the contract limit of $210 million.

The bridge replacement project is in addition to the 10-year South Coast Rail contract. The four rail bridges along the South Coast Rail right-of-way to be replaced include the President Avenue, Brownell Avenue and Golf Club Road Bridges in Fall River and the three-span Wamsutta Bridge in New Bedford. In addition, a separate Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority contract will completely upgrade five grade crossings located on Dean Street in Taunton; Copicut Road, Elm and High Streets in Freetown and Nash Road in New Bedford.

All early-action projects will be completed over the next two years while ongoing preliminary engineering design work continues on the overall South Coast Rail project.

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