Cole River Bridge Demolition, Reconstruction Begins This Month

From the Massachusetts Department of Transporation:

MassDOT will begin Phase I Bridge demolition and reconstruction of the Route 195 eastbound bridge over the Cole River Bridge in Swansea on Oct. 19. This $10.5 million project is part of a bridge superstructure replacement project on the I-195 east and westbound bridges over the Cole River.

Starting Oct. 19, MassDOT will be removing the entire deck system including the structural steel beams and replacing them with new steel beams and pre-fabricated concrete bridge deck panels. Once the work has begun, the contractor will have nine and a half days to complete each phase of construction once the traffic has been shifted.

During Phase I reconstruction, eastbound traffic will be directed to the westbound side of Route 195 via the new median crossover road. Traffic in both directions will be reduced from three travel lanes to two during this nine and a half day period of work. Once the eastbound bridge reconstruction is completed, traffic will be returned to its normal three travel lanes. Phase I is expected to be completed on Oct. 29, 2014.

Phase II is currently scheduled for Spring of 2015. The full project is expected to be complete in the Fall of 2015.

In 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) was created to unify the state’s various transportation agencies. MassDOT now includes the Highway Division, the MBTA and Rail Transit Division, the Aeronautics Division, and the Registry of Motor Vehicles. MassDOT is committed to providing a safe and reliable transportation system to all those who travel in the Commonwealth and works to deliver excellent customer service. MassDOT has been nationally recognized for its innovative approach to transportation, including the Accelerated Bridge Program, the “Where’s My Bus and Train?” apps and “Fast 14” work. For more information, visit MassDOT at our website: www.mass.gov/massdot blog: http://blog.mass.gov/transportation/, or follow MassDOT on twitter athttps://twitter.com/MassDOT and Facebook at www.facebook.com/massdotinfo.