AMESBURY — A just-released inspection report of the deteriorated, 57-year-old Whittier bridge showed no unexpected finds, but senior state highway officials say short-term repairs will continue to be needed on the Interstate 95 bridge.
"There are no surprises," chief engineer Frank Tramontozzi said in an interview earlier this week.
A highly redacted copy of the 43-page inspection report was provided to The Daily News by the state agency. The document, compiled after an inspection team spent several days this summer surveying the bridge, discusses the status of the infrastructure and ranks the condition of the different parts. Many pages in the report that discuss problems with the bridge are nearly completely blacked out, and photos have been partly blacked out. State officials said the redactions were done due to national security concerns.
The stringers, the deck, the catwalk, and floor beams are rated at a "4," which the state defines as "poor." On a 10-point scale, it is just two steps above the point at which officials could consider closing the bridge. The floor system bracing is ranked as "5," which is "fair."
Concerns about the bridge, which connects Newburyport and Amesbury and crosses I-95, were raised last summer after The Daily News reported four 30-foot beams had corroded and broken — one of which was found underneath the bridge along the banks of the Merrimack River. Significant rusting on main beams was also noted.
State officials said the four beams were supplemental parts of the bridge and not necessary to its structural integrity. But state officials acknowledged that ongoing repairs needed to be made, and so repairs, and a new report on the bridge's condition, commenced. That report was just released to The Daily News.
The Whittier Bridge — a six-lane bridge that is the most heavily traveled bridge in Greater Newburyport — is included in a bridge acceleration replacement program unveiled by Gov. Deval Patrick last summer. Under that program, the bridge will be removed and replaced, starting in 2012. The project will take several years. The Whittier Bridge is classified by The Massachusetts Highway Department as "structurally deficient," meaning it's a structure that needs repairs or replacement.
Until that time comes, MassHighway bridge engineers say they are making needed repairs to keep the bridge healthy.
A look underneath the Whittier bridge shows rotting holes in steel support beams, enormous rust patches and broken bracing, but state officials say the structure remains safe for vehicles.
Structural repairs to the bridge have been underway for several months, after the inspection found areas that could be addressed.
Under the repair plan, Tramontozzi said, 27 stringers and 34 floor beams have been worked on and strengthened.
Those short-term fixes should be completed by the end of 2009, he said.
The design of the new Whittier bridge — whether it will be a suspension bridge or another kind — will be determined as the replacement project begins in the coming years, state officials said. That process will include public input. The new bridge is projected to last 75 years at least, Tramontozzi said.
The scope of work for the new bridge will include a design review and type study. Engineers said this week it's too early to know the costs of the replacement project but estimated it will be between $200 million and $300 million, due to the complexity and length. A statement issued by Patrick this week pegged the price at about $285 million.
"Eight years from now is when it will be finished," Tramontozzi said.
Until Patrick's plan, there was no funding source to replace the bridge, MassHighway officials said. Patrick this week was one of several governors who asked President-elect Barack Obama to free up money for bridge and infrastructure repairs.
While large portions of entire pages of the report were redacted by the state, the document does note that there are some missing pieces of the catwalk grating at the abutments, and "random locations of missing and/or deteriorated grating bars along the length of the catwalk," stating that "caution should be exercised when on the catwalk."
Large portions of the text reporting on the gusset plates, which connect the bracing to the floor beams, have been redacted, but the report notes they are "typically in satisfactory condition." The Whittier bridge's design is very similar to the Interstate 35 Minneapolis bridge that collapsed last year. Problems with the gusset plates were blamed for its collapse. After the collapse, the federal government ordered an immediate inspection of all similarly constructed bridges, including the Whittier bridge.
There are no weight limits on vehicles crossing the Whittier, the bridge engineers said this week. While bridges in the state are typically inspected on a two-year cycle, because of the Whittier bridge's current rating, it is inspected each year.
