Work on Allen Street Bridge ahead of schedule
By Ken Powers Contributing Writer

Northborough - Although it might seem longer to those inconvenienced by the work on the bridge, the town has been working on the Allen Street Bridge for 10 months. And, according to MassHighway's George Berte, the engineer overseeing the project, the contractor is way ahead of schedule.

"Our completion date for the project is Dec. 13, 2007," Berte said. "It wasn't in the spring, it's not this month, it's not even next month. It's Dec. 13. And we're not just going to finish in time, we're going to finish ahead of schedule. Way ahead."

Town residents inconvenienced by the reconstruction of the bridge and subsequent closing of Allen Street to through traffic were hopeful, largely because of how mild the winter was, that the completion of the project was even more ahead of schedule, but it's not.

"Technically the completion date has always been Dec. 13, because that's when the contract expires," Northborough Department of Public Works Director Kara Buzanoski said. "But we've always hoped it would get finished earlier because the closing of such a busy road creates such an inconvenience for so many town residents.

"I think that, coupled with the mild winter, gave people inconvenienced by the project false hope it would get finished as early as the spring," Buzanoski added.

The bridge is being rebuilt by the state because of structural deficiencies, which include cracks in the concrete understructure of the bridge and corrosion, problems first discovered during a routine state inspection five years ago. The reconstruction also includes replacement of the bridge's concrete beams.

The state built the bridge in 1985 and, as a result, is paying for its replacement. When finished, the project will cost the state somewhere between $750,000 and $900,000.

The bridge is being replaced under the state's Footprint Bridge Program. The program ensures that when a bridge is replaced it remains the same dimensions and style as the previous structure, in order to keep it within the character of its surroundings.

Berte said he has been very pleased with the contractor doing the work, Construction Dynamics of Fitchburg.

"They're doing an awesome job," Berte said. "They have a real attention to detail and they're really working hard to make this bridge not just as good as it was before, but even better. I think the town of Northborough is going to be really pleased with this bridge when it's finished. I know it's taken a long time, but I think they're going to realize, as soon as they look at it, that all the inconvenience was worthwhile."

Berte said there have been no surprises, so far, on the project, no unforeseen complications.

"Things have been excellent, right from the first day," Berte said. "I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying this, but this project could not have gone smoother. Everything has gone according to plan."