Politics & Government
MassDOT Gets Award For Work On the Burns Bridge
MassDOT was given the American Public Works Association Award for the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge Project.
WORCESTER, MA— It's a stunning, solid work of architecture, and now, those who worked on building it are getting recognition.
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) on Monday received the American Public Works Association’s (APWA) Public Works Project of the Year Award for the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge Replacement Project. The $144 million project fully replaced the old Burns Bridge over Lake Quinsigamond and links Shrewsbury to Worcester.
The award was presented at the joint meeting of the MassDOT Board of Directors and the Fiscal Management Control Board.
“We would like to thank the American Public Works Association for recognizing this signature project,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack in a statement. “The Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge is an example of how MassDOT approaches new construction with the priority of building projects that encompass all modes of transportation and address the needs of the surrounding communities. The people who use our infrastructure, whether by walking, cycling, or driving are the central focus of how we are building our infrastructure.”
Set for completion at the beginning of 2016, the project was done four months ahead of schedule and $5 million under the original $110 million budget. The new Burns Bridge replaced a 100-year old structurally deficient bridge.
The Middlesex Corporation began the Burns Bridge project in June 2012 and it was officially completed in August 2015. The new five span steel deck arch structure provides three travel lanes in both directions on Route 9 with exclusive left and right-turn lanes on the westbound approach into Worcester.
According to the announcement, the bridge will accommodate projected increases in traffic and includes bicycle lanes and sidewalks in both directions of the bridge. The project also included improvements on Lake Avenue to the north and south of Route 9 to improve bicycle and pedestrian accommodations. The roadway profile has been raised in order to provide improved vertical under-clearance for recreational users of the Lake Quinsigamond.
