Waltham's Woerd Avenue Bridge To Reopen Soon

WALTHAM, MA — Woerd Avenue Bridge is set to reopen soon.

"We are still targeting an opening by the second week of June," said Ward 8 City Councilor Cathyann Harris.

For most of the past two years, the state-owned bridge, which connects the rest of Waltham to the Island neighborhood on the South Side has been closed as crews worked to replace the bridge. The estimated completion date has been June since the project began in 2019.

The contractor finished building sidewalks and driveway ramps, applied seeding, and restored the slopes and waterways, according to MassDOT in April. Crews also replaced overhead utilities, last month, too.

The bridge, which was built in 1900, had been on a list of state-owned bridges that need repairing for years before the summer of 2018, when the state asked Waltham for a green light to allow crews access to the bridge, which had cement pylons degrading in the water.

What's left to be done? This week crews will begin water proofing the bridge deck. They're set to begin paving May 12, and the week of May 17 will plug the bridge joints. On May 24, MassDOT will bring in fences and signs, and then begin striping the roadway.

"We're planning to do a ribbon cutting and grand opening," Harris said. "The community is extremely excited to have the bridge open. Residents have sacrificed some accessibility having to go down Rumford Avenue."

All has gone mostly smooth, and because the site was designated an essential construction site because of the public safety impact, it is set to be finished on time. The only real hiccup? Recycling forgot about a couple houses tucked away on the Island, according to Harris, but even that was quickly resolved, she said. Neighbors are looking forward to having a quicker route to Moody Street, and a new bridge that includes sidewalks for joggers and pedestrians.

The one thing they're worried about as the city preps to reopen the bridge?

"Traffic and speeding," Harris said.

But new signs will go up this month to remind people that that's a new four-way stop just over the bridge, in an effort to help slow drivers down.

"We're almost there," Harris said. "It's going to be exciting when the bridge is open."

What about you? Are you looking forward to the bridge reopening? Why? Tell us in the comments below.

Jenna Fisher is a news reporter for Patch. Got a tip? She can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna). Have a something you'd like posted on the Patch? Here's how.