Route 16 bridge repair nearly complete

Complications led to repeated delays

In June, work had closed the Route 16 ramp at Route 9, one complication among years of challenges for Wellesley drivers. (Globe Staff File Photo / Wendy Maeda)

WELLESLEY - The Route 16 bridge over Route 9 has been under repair for so long, town officials say, commuters have stopped complaining about the congestion.

For those still wondering when the bridge rehabilitation will be finished, there's good news: The end is in sight.

Officials from the state Highway Department are predicting that a new bridge will be in place this fall, complete with the intricate stone veneer of the original, which was built in 1932. There is one caveat: "If the temperature gets cold earlier than usual this fall, that could affect the project," said Adam Hurtubise, a MassHighway spokesman.

The $9.45 million bridge rehabilitation project, which began in 2003, has dragged on because of a contractor who went bankrupt, among other complications, Klark Jessen, chief spokesman for the state's Executive Office of Transportation, wrote in an e-mail. As an example, he cited the process to move Verizon communications cables that were embedded in the old bridge.

Workers also found that the wall behind the stone veneer needed to be reinforced, but state officials said it was not a source of delay.

Although complaints had mostly died out, according to officials from the town's police, public works, and selectmen's offices, residents sound pleased that the end is near.

"We're going to be very happy when it's finished," said Tory DeFazio, a former president of the Wellesley Historical Society. "It's meant traffic lane relocation, slowdowns for several blocks. It's an inconvenience and people have been concerned because they don't see the progress.

"But this is a work of art," added DeFazio, who supported a movement to preserve the historical stone veneer. "It takes time."

The state-funded project has been in the works for more than 11 years. The design stage began in 1997, and plans were approved in 2002, according to MassHighway's website, which also says that construction is 69 percent complete.

The project, which originally carried a bid price of $5.2 million, has included the replacement of the bridge's superstructure and center pier, ramps between Route 16 and Route 9 are being updated, and the drainage on Route 9 is being improved. About $3.5 million is being spent on the facade - $1.8 million for the steel-reinforced concrete wall behind the stone veneer, and $1.7 million for the masonry work, which includes cataloging, removing, and stacking the veneer and rebuilding the wall with new anchors.

The Route 16 bridge is one of 300 in the state that are either listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or are eligible to be listed, Stephen Roper, a structural historian for MassHighway, wrote in an e-mail. About two dozen bridges are considered for "historically sensitive rehabilitation" each year, but only about 50 have been restored in the last 24 years, according to Roper. When considering historical rehabilitation, MassHighway looks at the degree of historical significance, the wishes of the local community, public safety, and cost, he wrote.

Jessen wrote that he couldn't quantify how much more it costs on average to rehabilitate a bridge with historical considerations, saying that "each bridge project is different."

Eight bridges with historical considerations, such as brick arches or iron trusses, have been bid, are under construction, or have recently been completed in communities across the state, including Framingham, Roper wrote.

Lee's Bridge on Route 117, at the Lincoln-Concord line, is expected to be completed next month, after 10 years and nearly $7.5 million. Like the Wellesley span, Lee's Bridge faced complications - high water levels from the nearby Sudbury River and the historical significance of its granite masonry.

While MassHighway officials said project delays are due to specific issues, former governor Michael Dukakis said they're reflective of a broader "construction management problem."

"This is just inexcusable," Dukakis said. "It is a problem everywhere and has been for several years."

However, Dukakis says the Patrick administration inherited the problem and working to make improvements to the system.

Jessen wrote that the department has implemented a streamlining review process committed "to reducing the length of the average project from conception to completion from 10 years to 5.8 years." The new system aims to speed up the bid process, and to have better coordination with outside entities to avoid delays, such as with utility relocations, he wrote.

In Wellesley, the new process won't affect the Route 16 bridge. However, the state's effort to keep the historical stone veneer is appreciated by some.

"The stone work on the bridge is part of the character of the town," DeFazio said.

"It inspired other construction - churches, fire station, the clock tower - that adds to the beautification of the town."

Rachana Rathi can be reached at rrathi@globe.com.