LO N G F E L LO W
B R I D G E
R E H A B I L I TAT I O N P R O J E C T
BRIDGING THE PAST AND THE FUTURE
J U LY 2013
The PROJECT
MassDOT is undertaking the Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation, a major
project of the Patrick Administration’s Accelerated Bridge Program. The
historic bridge is a vital link between Boston and Cambridge, making
important regional connections and contributing to the Charles River Basin
Historic District. The repair and rehabilitation of this significant bridge will
require temporary modifications to travel patterns for vehicles, pedestrians
and bicyclists and the MBTA Red Line, but the result will be a safe and
distinctive icon ready for many more years of service.
The rehabilitation will address the bridge’s current structural deficiencies,
upgrade its structural capacity and bring it up to modern code, including
improving multi-modal access and bridge-to-city-street connections to
meet accessibility guidelines. The repairs and modifications will be
consistent with the historic character of the bridge and comply
with environmental standards.
Please visit the website for project details and a brief history of the bridge at
www.mass.gov/massdot/longfellowbridge.
Longfellow Bridge Enters Final Design/Build Phase
On February 27, 2013, the Massachusetts Department of
Transportation (MassDOT) Board of Directors awarded
White-Skanska-Consigli J.V. (WSC) a design/build (D/B)
contract to rehabilitate the Longfellow Bridge. In D/B, final
design and construction occur concurrently, with some
elements of the project released for construction as design
continues on others. This process will keep the project
advancing at a steady pace.
During the D/B construction, MassDOT will maintain
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Red
Line service, minimize impacts on the traveling public,
local businesses and the boating community as much
as possible, and protect the environment. Configuration
of the rehabilitated bridge was the result of extensive
work completed by MassDOT and the Longfellow Bridge
Rehabilitation Task Force (a group of 40 stakeholders).
Widened and accessible sidewalks, bicycle lanes and other
features will reflect the more multi-modal use of the bridge
today. A new pedestrian bridge crossing Storrow Drive
will also be constructed. Access to the Esplanade will be
maintained during construction via the existing bridge.
Construction will include detours of the Cambridge-bound
traffic to facilitate construction. There will be Red Line
weekend shutdowns and other impacts. Final details are
being worked out and will be shared with the public as
soon as possible. Emergency, MBTA Red Line, bicycle
and pedestrian access will be maintained on the bridge.
Implementing detours will shorten the construction time,
enhance safety and keep as much traffic as possible – vehicle,
MBTA, bicycle, pedestrian and emergency – moving over the
bridge.
Final Design
Final design started with a notice to WSC to begin work.
Many of the elements of the design are already in place and
have had significant public review. The final bridge design
on the Boston-bound side will feature an 8-foot, 6-inch wide
pedestrian sidewalk; a 5-foot, 6-inch wide bicycle lane; and
two 11-foot wide vehicle lanes. The Cambridge-bound side
will feature a 13-foot wide pedestrian sidewalk; 6-foot wide
bicycle lane; and one 12-foot wide vehicle lane. The two
MBTA Red Line trains will operate in the existing 27-foot
wide rail right-of-way (see figure 3 on page 2). The design will
be developed in eight packages, and it will be completed
in late March 2014. Because this is a design/build project,
some construction work will begin before all of the design
packages are complete.
Bridging the Past and the Future
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Sequencing and
Cross Sections
Sequencing
General Overview
Figure 1
Traffic Management Stage 1
Construction Activities July 2013 to August 2014
Figure 2
Bridge Complete/Final Traffic Pattern
Figure 3
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Bridging the Past and the Future
Construction
The phased construction will require traffic diversions and
occasional weekend MBTA Red Line shutdowns. MassDOT will
implement a comprehensive traffic information program to
prepare all bridge users for changes as the work proceeds.
Cambridge-bound traffic will be diverted for the duration
of construction. Emergency, MBTA, bicycle and pedestrian
access and one Boston-bound travel lane will be maintained
on the bridge. Construction will take place in four phases
that require six traffic stages, and it will be completed in
November 2016.
During construction, the structural steel elements supporting
the bridge deck will be upgraded and the abutments will
be modified slightly so the sidewalk approaches meet
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accessibility guidelines.
The project includes restoring or replicating the bridge’s
ornate pedestrian railings, cleaning and conserving its
masonry elements and designing an appropriate new bridge
lighting system. Areas on the riverbanks disturbed by the
project will be carefully landscaped to tie the bridge into its
historic setting.
Preliminary work began in April 2013 to prepare the
surrounding roadways and intersections for
the traffic changes. This work includes borings
and other investigations, relocating curbing
and installing a new traffic signal at Charles
Circle, tree transplanting and removal, median
work on Main Street and modifications at
Land Boulevard and Monsignor O’Brien
Highway. Major construction will begin in July
2013.
The contractor will comply with local noise regulations
and will monitor and minimize dust and other construction
impacts as much as possible. Materials will be delivered using
existing truck routes and staged on the bridge. Measures to
protect the Charles River will be implemented as required
by state and local permits. Tree and landscaping removal
has been coordinated with the Department of Conservation
and Recreation (DCR) and cities of Boston and Cambridge.
Restoration will occur once construction is complete.
Traffic Management
The Longfellow Bridge carries the MBTA Red Line and
thousands of vehicles, pedestrians and bicyclists each day.
Due to the compressed construction period and to protect
the bridge’s users and construction workers, traffic will have
to be shifted as work progresses.
A map of the Cambridge-bound detour is below. The
contractor will be required to maintain emergency, MBTA,
bicycle and pedestrian access and one Boston-bound
travel lane on the bridge at all times. Six traffic stages are
necessary for construction. Stage 1 reflects the preliminary
design and will be implemented in July (see figure 2 on
page 2). In this stage, the Boston-bound side will be closed
Longfellow Bridge Rehabilitation Project
Cambridge-Bound Vehicle Detour Route*
Detail of the phasing for construction are
below (see figure 1 on left). One goal of the
plan is to minimize the number of changes
affecting those who use the bridge.
aaPhase
1 will reconstruct the Bostonbound sidewalks and roadway.
aaPhase
2 will reconstruct the Bostonbound MBTA Red Line track.
aaPhase
3 will reconstruct the Cambridgebound MBTA Red Line track.
aaPhase
4 will reconstruct the Cambridgebound sidewalk and roadway.
* Access across the bridge for bicyclists and pedestrians will be maintained throughout construction.
The D/B team has proposed an aggressive
Longfellow_
schedule to reduce impacts. MassDOT, Boston and
detour_rev3.jpg
Cambridge are reviewing the schedule, phasing and other
elements of the work. Construction hours are proposed for 7
AM to 11 PM, Monday through Saturday, once major Phase
1 construction begins. Occasionally, there will be overnight
work shifts to take advantage of the nightly MBTA shutdown.
Design/Build Schedule
Preliminary preparation
April 2013
Traffic Stage 1 implemented
July 2013 to August 2014
Major construction begins
July 2013
Construction completed
November 2016
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© Rosales + Partners
for demolition and reconstruction. Two bicycle lanes, a
pedestrian sidewalk and one vehicle lane will be provided
on the current Cambridge-bound side. Red Line trains will
remain in the existing location. Traffic conditions will be
monitored by 23 new traffic cameras, supplemented by
field observations, and signal timings will be adjusted to
maintain traffic flow. Once the details of the subsequent
stages are approved by the cities, MassDOT will notify the
public. An animation of the construction and proposed
stages is posted on the website at www.mass.gov/massdot/
longfellowbridge.
MBTA Red Line Diversions
Occasionally, work in the Red Line right-of-way will take
place during non-service hours, from 1 AM to 5 AM.
Additionally, there are weekends when major elements of
the construction require diversions. The D/B team was able
to reduce the number of Red Line weekend diversions from
82 in the preliminary design to just 25. During weekend
diversions, inbound and outbound buses will replace Red
Line trains on the bridge. The diversion schedule, which
must be approved by the MBTA, avoids major holidays,
important weekends and events.
The D/B team will work with Boston Transportation
Department and Cambridge Traffic, Parking and
Transportation Department to accommodate weekday
holidays and events. The preliminary schedule includes five
weekend diversions in 2013, seven between winter and fall
2014, 12 between winter and fall 2015 and one between
winter and summer 2016. The approved 2013 weekends are
August 10-11, August 24-25, October 19-20, October 26-27
and November 2-3. The D/B team will coordinate with the
MBTA to notify riders of the diversions.
Environmental and Historic Resources
The project team will continue to review key historical,
architectural and environmental aspects of the
rehabilitation, including coordinating with Section 106
Consulting Parties (Massachusetts Historical Commission,
Boston Landmarks Commission and Cambridge Historical
Commission), the Boston and Cambridge Conservation
Commissions and the Massachusetts Department of
Environmental Protection (MassDEP).
Public Involvement and Outreach
MassDOT will seek stakeholder input and support to
finalize elements of the design within the constraints of
the contract. MassDOT and its D/B team will introduce
traffic management plans to stakeholders during final
design to gather feedback before they are finalized. During
construction, MassDOT will provide frequent updates to
keep the community and bridge users informed about traffic
management plans, project updates, news and progress.
Frequent and timely updates will help stakeholders plan
their travel to minimize inconvenience. The program will
include public meetings and stakeholder briefings, fact
sheets and construction updates, website updates, email
blasts and social media updates. Please see the Contact
Us section for the website address to get traffic and
construction updates and sign up for the project email list
for meeting notices, updates and advisories. A dedicated
hotline and email address have been established.
Contact Us
For construction related questions, to report issues or
concerns or to be added to the project email distribution
lists, please contact the project team via the hotline at 617519-9892 or email at longfellowbridge@state.ma.us.
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Bridging the Past and the Future