New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“Representative Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisset” announced today the beginning of the state’s process to design and permit a replacement for the Fairhaven-New Bedford bridge that carries U.S. Route 6 over the Acushnet River in New Bedford Harbor.
The Highway Division of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation will be releasing shortly a ‘Scope of Work’ document soliciting bidders to perform preliminary engineering work for advancement of the project to the ‘25% Highway/Sketch Plan’ stage. Completion of 25% design level is a standard first level requirement for projects of this scope which involve complicated environmental, construction, and design issues. Inclusion of significant projects such as this typically needs preliminary design work completed prior to inclusion on Capital Construction funding lists; as a result of completion of early design work is critical to the project’s future funding success.
‘I want to thank Highway Administrator Gulliver and the Highway District #5 staff for their cooperation with me in getting the start for this engineering work,’ said Rep. Straus. ‘While this project will ultimately cost more than $100 million to permit and construct, a replacement bridge has significant economic value as it will allow better access through our port by widening the available channel for vessels and providing for more up to date and efficient operations during bridge openings,’ he added.Rep. Straus represents a legislative district that includes both sides of the Port of Fairhaven and New Bedford.
According to Massachusetts Highway Administrator Gulliver, ‘I have advanced this project for obtaining preliminary design work on behlaf of the Baker-Polito Administration because of the importance of the Port of New Bedford and the Southcoast region. Chairman Straus has brought home to me how critical this is to ensure that the state maintains both a safe and reliable bridge for Route 6 road traffic and the waterborne port activities in the harbor.’
Both Rep. Straus, House Chair of the Transportation Committee on Beacon Hill, and his colleague, Rep. Antonio F.D. Cabral (D-New Bedford) have been early advocates for this project submitting a Joint Committee to the state during consideration of the Bridge Corridor Study in September 2015. At that time, both Representatives stated their strong recommendation for the so-called ‘Tall Vertical Lift Bridge’ design.
‘It is important to point out that Mayor Mitchell has been tireless in his advocacy for this project and I cannot recall a legislative delegation meeting where he has failed to bring this up,’ noted Rep. Strauss.
According to the ‘Scope Of Work’ to be released by the state, engineering services should include all relevant tasks associated with Project Development Engineering, environmental considerations, 25% Highway Design Submission, conduct of Public Hearings, Geotechnical Design, Structural Project Development and Sketch Plans.”
