The Bates Bridge project is moving along. We’ve made it to 2% completion—and heavy construction is coming soon.
This fall, cofferdams will be built so that bridge work can continuously take place in the water. What are cofferdams? They are watertight enclosures placed underwater and then pumped dry. Cofferdams allow subsurface support structures to be excavated and constructed with workers inside them.
In preparation for this, contractor Cianbro continues to finalize engineering submittals and environmental permits. Work activities within the water are scheduled to start in mid-November—just as it gets cold.
Utility relocations have been going on in Haverhill along Groveland Street, Old Ferry Road and Orchard Avenue. (These are the road closings we told you about a couple weeks ago.) Also on the Haverhill side, Cianbro is continuing to install new roadway drainage systems and new water mains.
So what’s the story with the underground cable? Still nothing certain. MassDOT is working with National Grid to see if it’s really where the old plans say it is—running parallel to the existing bridge on the downstream side. So far, methods to locate the cable have included probing, test pits and detection devices—all with no results. Divers may be used in coming weeks because it’s always possible that the cable was removed years ago and the old plans weren’t noted.
The last couple of days have been rainy, but the weekend looks good. Enjoy the rest of this spectacular summer and we’ll be in touch when there is more news!
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| Ongoing installation of drainage structures and piping - August 2010 |
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