Work on the Pelham Island Bridge over the Sudbury River ended this afternoon. The bridge replacement project, which began in earnest in the spring of 2012, followed by a road closure that began on June 20th, is basically finished. A few minor operations remain which will require a few hours of road closure early in 2013 to complete Verizon and Comcast cable relocations and the removal of three temporary utility poles. In the spring of 2013 the contractor will return to put down the final layer of asphalt and fix any landscaping damage along the river banks. Monitoring will continue for another two years to ensure safety and environmental restoration.

In the last few days before opening the bridge and road, AA Will, the general contractor, and its subcontractors removed the temporary steel utility bridge, the bypass gas and water pipes, and the supporting H-beam utility bridge supports. Today they demolished the concrete piers that supported the massive girders that framed the utility bridge and then removed all their gear and cleaned up the road, readying it for traffic.

This 40th news update ends my coverage of this project. It has been a pleasure to serve you, and an exciting educational experience for me.

“Happy trails,”

Submitted by: Gary Slep