Bridge out for 9 months

Posted 9/18/14

Riverview and the Bayside sections of the city will lose one of two major accesses starting Monday when the Mill Creek Bridge on Tidewater Drive is closed for an estimated nine months. The existing …

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Bridge out for 9 months

Posted

Riverview and the Bayside sections of the city will lose one of two major accesses starting Monday when the Mill Creek Bridge on Tidewater Drive is closed for an estimated nine months. The existing bridge, estimated to be about 70 years old, is to be replaced with a structure similar in size under a $1,246,811 million contract with Cardi Construction.

“For nine months it’s [Tidewater Drive] going to have two dead ends. You’re going to have no traffic for a while,” acting director of public works David Picozzi said Tuesday, at an informational meeting attended by about 40 residents.

Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur called for the meeting, bringing together a lineup of officials, including Fire Chief Edmund Armstrong, City Engineer Eric Earls and Edward Brown of the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority.

Without access from Tidewater Drive, residents questioned the impact on Draper Avenue, the other major access road. With double the traffic on Draper, concerns were voiced over the safety of students walking to Gorton Junior High School and the dangers of speeding.

Ladouceur saw the bridge as a major step forward to bringing sewers to the neighborhoods and reducing sewer assessment costs for property owners. Replacing the bridge would have been necessary to extend sewers to Bayside, but now that the city is taking on the project, its cost will not be borne by the Sewer Authority and repaid through assessments. On the matter of sewers, Ladouceur announced that the Clean Water Finance Agency that underwrites the sewer bonds has approved a 30-year sewer assessment schedule. The current plan has a maximum of 20 years.

Ladouceur said the option for a 30-year repayment schedule might be preferable to some property owners.

“It’s another way to reduce the cost of these things,” he said.

During construction, the bridge will be closed to vehicular and pedestrian traffic. As some RIPTA riders use the bridge to walk to a bus stop on West Shore Road, Brown unveiled a plan to extend service into the neighborhood from Draper Avenue so riders would not need to walk as far to get to a stop.

The existing bridge has been a cause of concern for many years. It has weight limitations that require heavier vehicles to use Draper Avenue.

Picozzi said the city considered replacing the bridge itself, especially after the DPW replaced the Danger Bridge in Oakland Beach under budget and on time. But, as Ladouceur explained, there were concerns that another substantial project would stretch resources.

Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, questions were raised whether the replacement was designed to accommodate a rise in sea level and the passage of canoes and kayaks. It was suggested a higher bridge would be preferable.

Paul Earnshaw, president of the Buckeye Brook Coalition, brought some of those questions up Tuesday. Raising the elevation of the bridge deck, said City Engineer Earl, would have required elevating Tidewater Drive north of the bridge. This would mean there would be an elevated road at the end of some driveways.

Earl noted there “is no definitive information” on sea level rise, and Picozzi added, even at its current level, the north end of Tidewater floods before water flows over the bridge deck.

“By the time the bridge floods, everything north of it is under water,” he said.

Picozzi said $80,000 had been spent on the bridge design and “there was no way I could throw away $80,000.”

Earnshaw was assured that, at no time, would flow under the bridge be interrupted and affect the annual Buckeye Brook herring run. A temporary utilities bridge will be used for natural gas and water to the neighborhoods. The new bridge will include a sewer connection when the Bayside sewer projects are completed.

Picozzi said traffic details would be assigned to the area for the first three days of the project, but, to keep a lid on costs, special details would be as needed after that.

Rep. Frank Ferri, who lives in Riverview, asked what safety precautions were planned for an increase of traffic on Draper. Picozzi said police have been included in discussions and he expected there would be increased presence as residents become accustomed to the detour. He ruled out speed bumps, as had once been used on Draper. Chief Armstrong said the bumps cracked the fiberglass water tanks of fire trucks.

The chief said he used the department’s “code red” system to send emails, text messages and telephone calls to 540 area residents to inform them of Tuesday’s meeting and the nine-month bridge closing.

“I don’t like to use code red for everything,” the chief said.

In this instance, he said, the issue merited its use. One of those in attendance said she received notice by all three methods and she appreciated the service. Residents can register with code red by calling the Fire Department.

Comments

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  • davebarry109

    Ladouceur says the 30 year repayment plan will 'reduce costs'. A CPA he is not. Paying over 30 years at best spreads the cost. At worst, it's another ten years of interest on the loan. Duh. Plus, you would have to plan to be in your house for 30 years because when you sell, you have to pay off the debt.

    Thursday, September 18, 2014 Report this

  • danalawton1

    $80,000 just on design, $1.25 million cost, and 9 months to build it. A 30 foot bridge over a small creek. I sit here in utter disbelief shaking my head that this might even be looked at as reasonable. This is a travesty and should be halted at once. I'm speechless... $80k just to design it.

    Thursday, September 18, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    danalawton1 with your disbelief I can only wonder are you an engineer? And I also wonder where you were when all the debate was going on? What would your estimate be for material, direct labor, ETC…

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • danalawton1

    @Norm... Come on... 9 months to complete a small bridge and at a cost of which you could build 7 full new homes. No Norm... I question your loyalty to unions and massively inflated quotes. The actual bridge is about 2 car lengths long... $1.25 million. My estimate... if these guys actually worked an 8 hour day, including materials.... cost should be maximum $300,000 and it should only take a month maximum.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    danalawton1 you are just speculating…. How many guys for 8 hours? What would the fuel cost be? What is required because it is a wetland area? What is the insurance requirement?

    The cost of asphalt alone would be close to $100,000 alone. If a for profit company did it you would still have unions… I am sick of people who have no clue making comments after the fact and saying nothing while the debate goes on speak up when it counts or get in line with the rest of the sheep….

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    oh wait it is a private company Cardi Construction.....

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • danalawton1

    @Norm... or should I say... @Expert in Bridge Construction and Happy to Pay $1.25 million for a 30 foot Bridge that takes 9 months Norm... Sure Norm... you're right it all sounds plausible.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • Norm88

    danalawton1 my degree in environmental engineering gives me some knowledge base on the topic so I am able to speak to the facts that “it’s just a 30’ bridge” in a protected wetland area with water lines running though it and now sewer lines to your right nothing to it it’s only a 30’ bridge . All you do is make disparaging remarks about a topic you know nothing about.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • danalawton1

    Right Norm... if I know so little about it then why do you even bother to respond... I wouldn't if I thought the person was way off the mark.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • Ward5resident

    $300,000 on the bridge? By MY estimates we can lay down some old telephone poles and a few 4x4's and can get this thing done for $1000 and have it done by the end of the weekend.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • danalawton1

    @Ward5resident.... totally agree with you. But the more established and entrenched union loving minds have taken over... $80,000 just on the design. lets see... at $50 an hour it took 1,600 hours just to study and design the bridge. I was being somewhat kind to Norm... we all know regular American ingenuity could do it for much less. Hmmm... say we lay telephone poles and 4x4's... and they last 10 years... at a cost of around... $50k... $50k divided by $1.25 million equals 25. 25 times 10... 250 years. Just on design cost alone it would have lasted 16 years.

    Friday, September 19, 2014 Report this

  • HerbTokerman

    The pace of construction projects everywhere is ridiculous.

    Amazing that these projects cost so much yet there are so few people actually doing work.

    Look at route 128 near Boston .. construction has been going on for years and there are always like 5 guys working, no work done at night and very little progress being made.

    America built a 2000 mile long railroad in 5 years in the 1800's.

    these projects should not take long at all with technological advances.

    9 months to build a 30 foot bridge, two years to fix 2 miles of median on the mass pike... pathetic.

    Saturday, September 20, 2014 Report this