Located in the heart of Rhode Island and recognized as one of the largest structures in the state, the Washington Bridge, which spans over the Seekonk River, faces complete demolition and reconstruction, beginning several months
ago with the westbound span.
The 1,671-ft. bridge remains critical to commuters as it connects Providence and East Providence while also joining Providence to southern New England. The bridge, which was built in 1930 and faced major repairs in 1968, now receives more than 90,000 commuters each day and has
Equipment East Expands Its Product Line
Equipment East LLC, a leading construction equipment dealer headquartered in Dracut, Mass., is proud to announce its newly established partnership with ASV.
This collaboration extends Equipment East’s product offerings to include ASV’s compact track loaders and skid steers, renowned for their superior traction, speed and versatility, according to the company.
Under this partnership, Equipment East is now an ASV dealer across Essex, Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Plymouth, Worcester, Middlesex, Suffolk and Norfolk counties in Massachusetts. With locations in Dracut, Brockton and Auburn, Mass., and Bow, N.H., Equipment East is strategically positioned to deliver these innovative solutions to both existing and new customers, the company said.
According to Equipment East, ASV is celebrated for
The J.R.
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J.R. Vinagro On Track to Finish Bridge Demo in Early 2025
BRIDGE from page 1
served the community for nearly 100 years.
The complete reconstruction of the bridge requires many phases, beginning with removal and replacement of the Washington Bridge superstructure and substructure. Next, I195 needs to be resurfaced and restriped, followed by the replacement of the Gano Street off-ramp. Finally, RIDOT (Rhode Island Department of Transportation) will achieve project completion by adding an exit ramp to connect I-195 Westbound to Waterfront Drive as it ensures overall environmental improvement, enhanced community safety and increased access through Providence.
J.R. Vinagro Corporation Begins Demolition
RIDOT recently awarded the first stage of the project, the demolition of the westbound span, to Aetna Bridge Co., a company based out of Warwick, R.I., that specializes in bridge construction and rehabilitation, marine construction and demolition services. Initially, RIDOT planned to salvage and revitalize the bridge substructure, but after careful inspection, a complete replacement is now deemed necessary. The bridge, in a much poorer state than originally anticipated, now also requires shoring prior to demolition to ensure safe dismantling.
Aetna, responsible for the shoring, placed temporary vertical steel supports underneath the bridge deck as well as base plates and bracing struts to ensure a solid temporary structural support. Where shoring is not feasible over water, Aetna used tied down rods fastened from the bottom of the pier to the edge of the cantilever beams to ensure safe dismantling.
In addition, the project involves a total of eight subcontractors, selected by Aetna Bridge Co., including Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., J.R. Vinagro Corporation, Siefert
Associations, Freeman Companies, Narragansett Engineering, Oliveira Infrastructure LLC, Advocacy Solutions and Thielsch Engineering. The sole demolition subcontractor, J.R. Vinagro Corporation, began demolition in late August and aims to reach completion of the superstructure by February 2025. The superstructure includes nearly two dozen 60-ft. drop-in concrete I-beams, a total of 18 spans, including a 165-ft. steel span over the navigable channel, the bridge deck, pedestrian safety parapets, spandrel arch beams, post-tensioned cantilever beams, steel plate girders, the Gano St. off-ramp box structure, the west abutment and the first span backwall along the superstructure.
While removing a bridge entails many stages, removing a bridge that crosses over a navigable waterway involves even further diligence. To get the job done, J.R. Vinagro Corporation uses a variety of equipment, including a 4100 Ringer crane, Liebherr LR1600 crane crawler, (both cranes provided by Bay Crane), John Deere 470G LC excavator, Cat 347, 349 and 390 excavators and specialty attachments such as sheers and hammers. J.R. Vinagro Corporation uses the 4100 Ringer crane on a barge to carefully pick the deck, drop-in beams and cantilever piers, with each drop-in beam weighing 40 tons and spanning 60 ft. and the cantilevers with deck weighing approximately 115 tons. The beams and cantilevers, so massive in size, must be picked and lowered to a material barge for downsizing and offloading at a nearby bulkhead.
Once the bridge components are reduced in size, all concrete is trucked back to J.R. Vinagro Corporation’s facility in Johnston, R.I., where the concrete is downsized, crushed and recycled into usable concrete product. The crusher, a Lippmann jaw, crushes approximately 3,000 tons a day and can reduce the concrete into 1-in., 1.5-in. and 3-in. minus product. The Washington Bridge alone will produce approximately 75,000 tons of recycled concrete product.
Over water, Pinnacle Concrete Cutting, a local concrete contractor based in Johnston, R.I., and subcontractor of J.R. Vinagro Corporation, saw-cuts to separate the drop-ins and cantilever stems for picking. On land, a Liebherr LR 1600 crawler crane picks and lowers the drop-in beams and cantilever piers, while the excavators downsize the beams and piers while failing some spans over land.
Once demolition of the superstructure reaches completion, removal of the substructure will begin, including a substantial portion of the substructure underwater. Demolition of the substructure is expected to commence within the next few months. Soon a designer and contractor will be awarded for the redesign and rebuild of the new bridge. The construction of the new bridge is set to begin in December 2025. Once completed, the new bridge is projected to provide a service life of 100 years. CEG
(All photos courtesy of J.R. Vinagro Corporation.)
The J.R. Vinagro bridge demolition crew.
View from abutment 1, looking east.
J. R. Vinagro’s team picks a drop–in beam with a Liebherr LR 1600/2 crawler crane.
ANMAR COMP DISCOVER Y YA PAACT E
Vt. Schedules Replacement of Six Bridges Over Two Years Starting Next Summer
Bridge 116 was demolished by the July 2023 rain event. A temporary bridge was installed on-alignment and will remain in service until BR116 is replaced.
At the Nov. 18 meeting of the Plymouth, Vt., Selectboard, its members heard from the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) regarding plans to build a halfdozen local bridges that will sequentially be replaced, starting in the summer of 2025, and continuing through the summer of 2027.
The Vermont Journal, a weekly news source for several small towns in the central part of the state, reported that as a result of the area’s July 2023 flooding, the six bridges had major damage, have since received temporary emergency repairs, but are now in need of permanent replacements.
see VERMONT page 10
Dracut, Mass.’ Equipment East to Carry ASV CTLs, Skid Steers
ASV from page 1
creating the first compact track loader and the manufacturer continues to lead the industry with 14 models and a full assortment of attachments. ASV track loaders feature unique advantages such as higher ground speed, greater ground clearance and reduced ground pressure for ultimate productivity and efficiency.
ASV also offers two models of skid steer loaders along with all of the appropriate attachments, each rated at 74.2 hp.
Giovanni Albanese, manager of Equipment East, expressed his excitement in adding the ASV line.
Tim Elliot (L), compact equipment manager, and Jason Zibell, rental equipment manager, stand with one of Equipment East’s first ASV machines.
“ASV offers a solid machine with unique features and a strong reputation,” he said. “We’re eager to add these products to our lineup and serve our customers with these exceptional offerings.”
The addition of the ASV product line underscores Equipment East’s commitment to delivering top-tier equipment solutions, alongside other trusted brands such as DEVELON, Yanmar and Wacker Neuson, according to the company. (All photos courtesy of Equipment East LLC.)
VTrans photo
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30 Birch Island Road Webster, MA 01570 508-949-0005
7 Harry’s Way Webster, MA 01570 508-949-0005
1608 John Fitch Blvd South Windsor, CT 06074 860-288-4600
www.barryequipment.com
164 Boston Post Road Orange, CT 06477
203-795-0591 www.fwequip.com
45 Dempsey-Greaves Lane Stillwater, ME 04489
207-827-6193
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Vt. Looks to Replace Repaired Spans With Permanent Ones
Bridges 4, 7 and 9, all located over Pinney Hollow Brook on Vermont Highway 100A in Plymouth, along with Bridge 108 over Money Brook, Bridge 112 over Tinker Brook and Bridge 116 over Reservoir Brook along Vt. 100, are all slated to be rebuilt with hydraulically adequate replacements designed to minimize impacts to traffic in the event of future storm events.
Rob Young, VTrans’ accelerated bridge program manager, explained that Bridges 4, 7 and 9 will each have their spans lengthened, and Pinney Hollow Brook will be “reestablished to its natural state” in each location. Bridge 9 will be the first project, he said, with construction set to take place next summer, and Bridges 4 and 7 will be reconstructed sequentially in mid-2027.
The transportation agency’s Gary Laroche, who serves as a VTrans structures
project manager, described Bridge 108 along Vt. 100 as having an “enormous sediment source” upstream of the bridge which then comes downstream during a storm, clogs the bridge and runs along the roadway.
To alleviate the problem, Laroche said crews will install two additional 12-ft.-wide box culverts on either side to relieve the sediment flow, and also allow equipment to get into that area to clean up materials and debris after a storm. The replacement of that bridge also will begin sequentially in 2027.
The plans for Bridge 112 over Tinker Brook will involve a 20-ft. box culvert replacement in the summer of 2026. Additionally, as Bridge 116 across Reservoir Brook collects substantial amounts of sediment, it will be replaced with a 60-ft.-long structure, and the stream will be realigned. That work is scheduled to begin sequentially in 2026, as well.
VTrans Aims to Lessen Traffic Impacts as Much as Possible
Tom Knight, principal transportation representative of VTrans, explained to the Plymouth Selectboard that traffic detours may be more difficult for folks who live and work on Vt. 100 or Vt. 100A during the various replacement efforts, as drivers will have to loop around each work zone.
Other project sites, he said, will impact anyone traveling from Ludlow north to Killington as they will need to detour via Vt. 103 to travel north into Rutland, and onto U.S. Highway 4 northeast into Killington.
In addition, Knight added:
• Bridge 9 on Vt. 100A, being the first project on the agenda next summer, will see a 45-day closure. He said the construction will begin in April, with the actual road closure to coincide with the local schools’ summer break.
• Bridge 116 will be closed for 45 to 60 days, and Bridge 112 will see a short one- to two-week shutdown, both in the summer of 2026.
• Bridges 4 and 7 will each be shuttered for approximately 28 days in the summer of 2027. Bridge 108, with the largest detour on the map, will have a one- to two-week duration during that same time.
Knight expressed sympathy for the disruption the projects will cause to local residents and businesses, stating, “Twenty-eight days to build a new bridge is pretty aggressive.”
Alternatives to replace one-lane bridges or utilize temporary bridge options are more expensive, he noted, and the construction timeframe is much longer. With each bridge project, VTrans said it is trying to be proactive to complete the work as quickly, efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.
VERMONT from page 6
MBTA Reveals Designs for Blue Hill Avenue Transit Project
The city of Boston and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) have released new conceptual designs for the Blue Hill Avenue transit project and announced plans to host three open houses in Mattapan and Dorchester in the coming month to vet the refined plan with neighbors and bus riders.
StreetsblogMASS reported Nov. 8 that the new concept-level designs represent the first step toward drawing up detailed blueprints for a construction project, which is not expected to begin until 2026.
Blue Hill Avenue is the busiest bus route in New England. Unfortunately, the MBTA estimates that bus riders collectively waste more than 3,000 hours every weekday due to traffic congestion and illegally-parked vehicles that block their bus stops.
Because Blue Hill Avenue traverses neighborhoods where the majority of Boston’s Black and Brown populations live, the costs of those delays overwhelmingly fall onto people of color, the online news service noted.
• Faster, more reliable and more comfortable service for riders with new transit connections.
• Enhanced pedestrian safety with better visibility at crossings.
• Improved pedestrian accessibility.
• Better climate resilience with green infrastructure throughout the corridor.
According to MBTA, the project’s many planned features will include:
• Dedicated spaces for people to walk, bike, drive, and access public transit.
• Center-running bus lanes to support current and future bus service.
• Bus boarding platforms with shelters, real-time information screens, better lighting, security cameras, emergency call boxes, new seating and accessibility upgrades.
• Roadway resurfacing.
• Traffic signal upgrades to prioritize buses.
• At least 14 new crossing signals, providing pedestrians with 40 percent more opportunities to safely cross the street.
In an effort to make buses faster and more dependable for residents of Mattapan and Dorchester, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced earlier this year that her administration would invest in a major redesign of Blue Hill Avenue with centerrunning bus lanes, protected bike lanes and preserved trees in the roadway’s landscaped medians.
“This corridor is vital as it carries over 40,000 riders each day, comparable to ridership we see on the Blue Line daily,” MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng said in a statement provided to StreetsblogMASS.
“Updating the layout of this roadway will improve travel for all along this corridor and make bus trips safer and more efficient for our drivers and riders.”
Updated Road to Provide Numerous Features, Benefits
While previous plans for Blue Hill Avenue had been limited to abstract crosssections and rough sketches, the new plans released the first full week of November show considerably more detail about specific locations for new stations, traffic lights, crosswalks, tree plantings and bike lanes.
Among the community benefits that the roadway upgrade will provide are:
• Improved traffic safety along Blue Hill Avenue.
• Crossing distances shortened by about 25 percent on Blue Hill Avenue and by an average of 19 ft. on intersecting streets.
• Repaired sidewalks with at least 185 curb ramps upgraded to meet accessibility standards.
• At least 150 new trees along the avenue.
• Over 100,000 sq. ft. of additional public space with opportunities for better street lighting, benches, bike parking and public art.
City Hall, MBTA Want to Hear From Public
Boston officials and MBTA are still soliciting feedback on details for specific station locations and street layouts in a few key locations.
The conceptual plans include alternative designs for stations near Morton Street, American Legion Highway and the Blue Hill Avenue Fairmount Line station.
A precise siting of those stations will affect other elements of the street’s design, including the number of crosswalks, availability of curbside parking and turn lanes for motor vehicle traffic.
StreetsblogMASS noted that city planners and the MBTA will need to determine a final choice between those alternatives before the project moves into more advanced design in 2025.
RIDOT Marks Finish of Key Road Project in Middletown
This construction season, the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) completed work on an $8.9 million project to rebuild the badly deteriorated road base on Aquidneck Avenue in Middletown, one of the community’s busiest commercial corridors, and make numerous other safety improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.
Peter Alviti Jr., RIDOT’s director, was joined by Middletown Town Administrator Shawn Brown and other state and local leaders Nov. 19 at a ceremony to mark the project’s finish.
“Aquidneck Avenue is a perfect example of our commitment to address important roads for our communities that have not been properly maintained for decades,” Alviti said. “Today we have a solidly rebuilt roadway that will serve the businesses on this road and residents and visitors who frequent them for many years to come.”
Work on Aquidneck Avenue was one of the first efforts the state agency undertook with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as part of a fiveyear, $500 million investment in pavement projects throughout Rhode Island.
“Aquidneck Avenue serves as a critical connector for Middletown’s vibrant business community and J.H. Gaudet Middle School,” said Rhode Island’s U.S. Rep. Gabe Amo, D-1st District. “I’m glad to see the completion of this project supported by federal and local investments to help Aquidneck Island implement critical safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists, creating a safer and more accessible environment for all road users.”
What’s Up Newp, a Newport, R.I. online news source, noted that the work included a road reconstruction that utilized a process called “pavement reclamation” in which the
base of the street was rebuilt to provide a long-lasting repair of the driving surface.
RIDOT also coordinated with the Newport Water Department to install a water main on a portion of the roadway — with Newport and Middletown each contributing up to $267,000 for it — as part of the effort. This minimized the overall disruption to motorists with only one construction project instead of two.
“Investments from the federal, state and local levels have contributed to bringing these much-needed improvements not only to the roadway, but also the watermain underneath, as well as critical safety features that will serve our students, motorists and local residents for many years to come,” said Rhode Island State Sen. Louis P. DiPalma, D-12th District, and chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
“Much credit goes to former Middletown Town Councilor M. Theresa Santos, who passed last year. She persevered to get this project underway for many, many years.”
The Aquidneck Avenue reconstruction also will improve pedestrian safety with new sidewalks along the western side of the road and pedestrian crossing features at the entrance to Gaudet Middle School.
Additionally, RIDOT installed bike lanes along the corridor to support alternative forms of transportation that result in improved air quality through reduced automobile emissions. Approximately 16,100 vehicles per day use this section of Aquidneck Avenue, What’s Up Newp noted.
The roadway’s reconstruction was made possible by RhodeWorks, RIDOT’s ongoing commitment to repair structurally deficient bridges and bring the state’s transportation infrastructure into a state of good repair, promote economic development and create jobs.
Work on Aquidneck Avenue was one of the first efforts RIDOT undertook with funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act as part of a five-year, $500 million investment in pavement projects throughout Rhode Island.
