FHWA 48-12
Friday, November 9, 2012
Contact: Kelly Dollinger
Tel: 202-366-0660

New $244.6 Million Fore River Bridge Will Keep Traffic and Economy Moving in Boston

BOSTON - Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Greg Nadeau today joined Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and other state officials to break ground on the $244.6 million Fore River Bridge Replacement project in Quincy, which will provide a long-term solution to accommodate drivers and marine traffic in Boston.

"Building this bridge will put people to work today, while also benefitting commuters and saving taxpayers money through our faster, innovative design-build approach," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Rebuilding a bridge so that it's better than it was before - it's all part of President Obama's vision of an America built to last."

In 2000, the U.S. Coast Guard closed the original bridge, and it was demolished. This project will replace the temporary bridge that was installed to connect Quincy and Weymouth along Route 3A. The new bridge will be wider to handle increased motor vehicle traffic, with a higher clearance to meet the ships and barges that are part of the South Shore economy. To complete the bridge more quickly, the state will combine the design and construction phases into one, part of the innovative design-build contracting method.

The new bridge will be a 250-foot-wide, vertical lift moveable bridge with two lanes of traffic, a bike lane and sidewalk in each direction. When the bridge is completed in 2016, it will service 32,000 daily drivers, while enabling ferries and freight to pass underneath to ports and the Fore River Shipyard.

"Accelerating project delivery is about building long-lasting infrastructure in a way that completes work sooner and minimizes impact on the traveling public," said Deputy Administrator Nadeau. "As one of the largest contracts in the state, the new Fore River Bridge will also support hundreds of jobs in the region."

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