Central Street Bridge Will Not Open On Schedule

The Central Street Bridge project, under the supervision of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, will not be completed on time.

The bridge in Saxonville was scheduled to re-open in late August.

The new target date is late fall - possibly the end of October, early November, according to Town of Framingham officials.

The bridge closed in early January.

Built in 1920, the Anthony Colonna Bridge, known by many as the Central Street Bridge, is located on Central Street spanning the Sudbury River overlooking the Saxonville mills.

There bridge underwent a major rehabilitation and most of the substructure elements were built in 1972. It was constructed of precast box beams and supported by concrete abutments on bedrock. The northwest and southwest granite block wing walls are the only elements remaining from the 1920 bridge.

MassDOT, which is overseeing the project, said the bridge had deteriorated and needed replaced.

Last month, Framingham Town Manager said MassDOT informed him the project was still on time.

The state originally estimated the Central Street Bridge project at $6.2 million.

The proposed project consists of replacing the existing Central Street bridge over the Sudbury River in its present location with minor improvements to the approach roadways. The bridge will be closed during construction with a detour for traffic utilizing the Wickford Road bridge, which was rehabilitated as part of this project prior to the Central Street bridge.

The construction bid price was $4.4 million.

The Wickford Road Bridge closed in March 2013, so MassDOT could make necessary repairs. The Commonwealth said it would be a 4-month project. It ended up being an 18-month project, with the bridge not re-opening until July 2014