Commission OKs Route 16 bridge replacement project; work to begin this year

Advocate Staff Report

At their meeting last week, the Revere Conservation Commission unanimously approved the Notice of Intent for the upcoming work replacing the Route 16 Revere Beach Parkway Bridge that runs over Broadway. The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) has determined the bridge is near the end of its functional life. The recent priority repairs made to areas of deterioration were done to improve safety and ensure existing traffic lanes can remain open during the replacement project. Commission members questioned staff from Howard Stein Hudson, the engineering firm leading the project, about schedules, traffic plans, landscaping catch basins and drainage plans.

The nearly $19 million project, with the Federal Highway Administration picking up 80 percent of the tab and MassDOT paying the rest, is expected to begin later this year and will take three years to complete. Work will take place in three stages meant to cut down on traffic disruption. During construction, two-way traffic on the Parkway will continue. According to MassDOT, the median barrier will be removed and there will be temporary lane shifts. Work will start on the south side of the bridge with traffic moving to the center and the north side. The north side will be replaced with traffic moving to the southern lanes. The center section of the bridge will be replaced following that, with work done underneath the bridge as a final stage. MassDOT has warned there might also be short-term closures during certain work operations, detours if needed and advanced warning signs before impacts begin.

The bridge replacement includes improvements to Broadway. According to MassDOT, below the bridge there will be roadway improvements, sidewalk reconstruction, ADA-compliant ramps, a bicycle lane, a bus lane and upgrades to intersections where the Route 16 ramps meet Broadway.

Representatives from Howard Stein Hudson told the commission there will be no direct environmental impacts to adjacent Mill Creek. There will be minimal impact to the riverfront area due to sidewalk replacement. Some trees will be removed but trees will also be planted in the area. Commission members asked about replacement trees and agreed to include in their list of conditions that replacement trees be at least six inches.

The bridge replacement project includes 16 new catch basins and upgrades to existing ones. The project team initially proposed a maintenance schedule of annual inspections of the catch basins with cleaning when needed. Commission members felt that, given the area and the amount of debris that collects there, a more aggressive maintenance schedule was needed. In their updated list of conditions, they included quarterly inspections of the catch basins and cleanings when sediment reached five to six inches.

Commission members also asked if the brush surrounding the bridge, which collects plastic bags and other trash, could be removed. Project team members said the plan is to clear those areas and plant grass.

Commission chairman Nicholas Rudolph thanked the project team for their input. He called the bridge a gateway to the city and said it will be good to see it cleaned up and replaced. “It’s an enhancement for the community,” he said.