And Another One Bites the East St Bridge Dust....#MBTA #Westwood

I like to think I'm honest as your mayor, and among those things I think I'm pretty blunt that a) I know my hometown is not perfect and b) I am an Islington woman. In going over my daily Google Alert for Westwood, I saw something I have seen too many darn times: Box truck hits commuter rail bridge in Westwood. Yes, Virginia, ANOTHER truck got stuck under the East Street Bridge.

If you are new to the havoc that is this bridge, here's a Youtube compilation, a Twitter account, a Popular Mechanics article (remember when that had us trending on Facebook?), and a CityLab article. Point being, it's not news around here that we have Trouble with a Capital T which rhymes with a B which stands for Bridge.

The Town of Westwood reports that "The Board of Selectmen is committed to keeping the residents of the Town of Westwood informed on various projects in Town. One of the more hotly debated projects is the redesign and replacement of the MBTA East Street Bridge. Check back for additional information as it becomes available.

Since the East Street Bridge is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA), it will provide periodic updates on its website related to the project. Please check the MBTA website for more information. The Town will be sure to share as much information as possible on this site."

Very well then, let us check the MBTA site:

"Franklin Line East Street Bridge Rehabilitation
Updated on March 14, 2018
About the Project
Timeline: 2016-2019
Status: Construction
The current East Street Bridge, built in 1911, carries the Franklin Line Commuter Rail over East Street in Westwood. The current bridge design has low clearance, and the roadway beneath has no sidewalks, posing a safety hazard to vehicles and pedestrians passing under it.

Project Features
New steel plate-girder structure with a steel thru-girder structure
New concrete abutments
Improved vertical clearance of 13 feet, 6 inches (compared to today's 10 feet, 4 inches)
Total horizontal clearance of 32 feet, plus 5 feet for sidewalks
Benefits
Increased clearance under the bridge for vehicles and pedestrians
Brings the bridge to a State of Good Repair
Reduce maintenance costs and service impacts for the foreseeable future"

Despite the 2016-2019 quoted on my MBTA site, WHDH's article about yesterday's accident says "MBTA officials say the town has asked them to rebuild the bridge. The T will start accepting construction bids for the work next spring." Now I think most of us who take the T know its flaws, so I am going to be presumptuous and raise an eyebrow at the idea that bids will be accepted starting next spring and then the bridge will be done by the end of the year.

If you are tired of seeing this bridge be what our town is known for, or tired of having some foolish truck ruin your commute, the MBTA has thoughtfully given you an email address to contact:

Contact Information

For all queries and comments related to Franklin Line East Street Bridge Rehabilitation, please contact:
John Schwarz, Director of Bridges and Tunnels
jschwarz@mbta.com

Gif source

Speaking of Islington, did you know that the new middle school principal's wife went to Hanlon and Downey Schools?

As always, please email me to tell me about what you would like to read about (and have your neighbors read about!)