Randolph, MA Bridge Replacements
Randolph, MA Bridge Replacements
Industry: Transportation Infrastructure
Location: Randolph, MA
Start Date: November 14, 2022
Southbound Bridge Replaced: Friday, April 5 – Monday, April 8, 2024
Northbound Bridge Replaced: Friday, May 3 – Monday, May 6, 2024
Project Completion Date: April 28, 2025
Northern Construction was contracted by MassDOT Highway Division, District 6, to replace two bridges along Route 24 in Randolph, Massachusetts.
Route 24 is a heavily traveled regional corridor handling about 135,000 vehicles daily. It links the South Shore and Fall River area with Interstate 93 and greater Boston. In Randolph, Route 24 passes over Canton Street via a northbound and southbound bridge. The bridge superstructures had deteriorated, necessitating replacement.
Given that Route 24 is an active, heavily traveled roadway, replacing the Canton Street bridges required maintaining traffic volumes and continuous flow throughout construction. Despite the challenges posed by a fast turnaround time, adverse weather and complex traffic patterns, Northern Construction efficiently completed the main superstructure replacement during two weekend closures.
The Scope of Our Work
Traffic Control and Bridge Demolition
The northbound and southbound Route 24 bridges were closed and replaced a month apart in April and May of 2024. During each closure, temporary traffic crossovers maintained two lanes of travel in each direction. This allowed the usual traffic load to continue.
- The southbound bridge was closed and demolished on the night of Friday, April 5. The new bridge superstructure was installed over the weekend and opened the following Monday morning (April 8) for weekly commuters.
- Once the superstructure reopened, construction continued with the development of parapet walls and bridge railings. Upon completion of the southbound bridge, Norther Construction repeated the same process on the northbound bridge.
New Superstructure Placement
The strict, non-negotiable timeline of the Route 24 project shortened the standard bridge installation window. To optimize the process and ensure on-time reopening, Northern Construction utilized Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) techniques to replace the bridges’ superstructures. Solutions, including prefabricated substructure and superstructure elements, were produced off-site in advance, significantly reducing field construction activities.
Unique Project Challenges and Solutions
Tight Timelines
Ordinarily, bridge replacement can take months to years to complete. The Route 24 project timeline did not allow this option. Each bridge had to be fully replaced within a roughly 56-hour span over two weekends. The short turnaround time demanded peak efficiency and left minimal room for error.
Achieving this goal involved:
- Creating comprehensive sequencing plans
- Mapping contingency strategies
- Conducting pre-construction rehearsals
- Having extra equipment and staff on hand
The communication between field crews, traffic control, fabricators, inspectors and other team members was key to the project’s success. Flexibility and quick decision-making in the field allowed the team to adapt without compromising quality or safety.
Adverse Conditions
The bridge replacement project faced cold temperatures, high winds and persistent rain. These conditions could have negatively impacted temperature-sensitive work and timelines. Up to 80 skilled personnel worked day and night to complete the work safely and efficiently. While the project involved multiple individual contractor and subcontractor teams, each group worked cohesively together to ensure the project’s success
Key Project Takeaways At this time
The Randolph Route 24 Bridge replacement was a high-stakes, short-timeline project, but Northern Construction completed the job on schedule. These results reflect our commitment to quality work in the transportation industry.
WORKING TOGETHER WITH ENGINEERS
We partner closely with engineers to bring their designs to life. We’re pre-qualified with multiple agencies to create an efficient proposal process.
Safety and accuracy are our top priorities. When you work with Northern Construction, you can trust that we pay close attention to every detailed specification and requirement.
SAFETY FIRST
We prioritize safety guidelines in our project planning because we care about our clients, construction workers, and communities. Click the link below to see how we consistently exceed safety standards.