Braintree Route 3 Bridge Work Gets Done Early

BRAINTREE, MA — Work on replacing the bridge on Route 3 South in Braintree was completed earlier than expected, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.

MassDOT announced early Monday morning that work near the split wrapped up at 1 a.m. The replacement work was expected to take until 5 a.m. Accelerated operations began at 10 p.m and have meant ramp closures, lane reductions, and detours throughout the area as crews worked 24/7 to demolish the existing bridge, put in place prefabricated steel beams, concrete deck panels, and mill and pave the roadway, MassDOT officials said.

“We are proud of the efforts of our crews and contractors who have worked to complete these accelerated construction operations in an efficient manner and help minimize the impact on the local community,” said Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said in a release. “We were able to replace this bridge on Route 3 southbound in less time than expected thanks in part to the cooperation of the traveling public, the careful planning of our designers and engineers, and the coordination with key stakeholders and civic leaders.”

Last weekend's work was part of a $6.3 million project where crews have used accelerated methods on two weekends to replace two bridges that carry Route 3 over Interstate 93 at the Braintree split.

All work associated with the project is expected to be completed by fall 2018.

Image via MassDOT