Here's How Much It Might Cost To Replace Historic Waltham Bridge

WALTHAM, MA — Waltham has long needed to replace the aging Farwell Street Bridge across the Charles River, officials here have said, and now there’s a rough idea of what that might cost.

The city council’s finance committee on Monday plans to consider budgeting $275,000 for the “conceptual design” of a new bridge, according to the panel’s meeting agenda. But the project is still at an early stage, and it’s not yet clear what the city might pay for the final blueprint.

Construction could cost as much as $16.2 million, data from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation shows. That amount would be covered by a combination of state and federal funding, split almost evenly.

The entire project would take around five years, the Waltham Times recently reported.

The James J. Harold Bridge, as it's officially known – in honor of a former Waltham City Council president – connects the city’s Bleachery and Southside neighborhoods. The bridge also helps link Waltham with Newton, whose border is nearby.

The existing 105-foot, Art Deco-style span dates to 1935, records show, when it was built for $50,100 by the federal Public Works Administration under President Franklin Roosevelt’s “New Deal.”

Concrete-and-steel bridges like this one typically have a lifespan of around 75 years, although weather, traffic and other factors can determine just how long a bridge endures. The Farwell Street Bridge was last restored in 2015.

More information about Monday’s meeting is available here. To read the Waltham Times article, click here.