Woodlawn Bridge Demolition Begins at Stanley Business Park

By Joe DurwinPittsfield Correspondent
03:51PM / Wednesday, August 08, 2012Print Story | Email Story

The so-called Woodlawn Bridge will be coming down over the next two weeks. It's replacement will be higher to accommodate double-decker trains.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — After months of delay and uncertainties surrounding the future of the Woodlawn Avenue bridge, the connector to the William Stanley Business Park is coming down, according to the Pittsfield Economic Development Authority.

PEDA officials on Wednesday said the demolition is expected to be completed over the next two weeks, with recently secured state monies funding a replacement bridge expected to be in place by the end of 2013.

"I want to publicly thank our Berkshire delegation, and Senator Downing, for advancing this project," said PEDA director Corydon Thurston. "They did a yeoman's job of supporting the city's efforts and PEDA's efforts to get that MassDOT attention on time."

As part of the transportation bond bill passed in the state Legislature on July 25, state Sen. Benjamin B. Downing secured $2 million for the reconstruction of the bridge, contingent on its completion by the end of next year.

The bridge was previously slated to be demolished in January of this year, but uncertainties about a timetable for its replacement lead to delays in its removal. The parcel of former GE land passed to PEDA last fall with a stipulation that the structure be replaced with a higher-elevated one that complies with a mandate from Gov. Deval Patrick that all Massachusetts bridges be able to accommodate double-decker rail cars.

The bridge is considered crucial to the future success of the business park, which has struggled for years to attract viable tenants to the environmentally troubled site. PEDA and city officials had also hoped to have a reopened bridge available to connect the Morningside neighborhood with East Street before the closure of Silver Lake Boulevard, which is expected to occur next summer as part of the environmental remediation of the lake.

In other business park news:

• PEDA continues to take steps to try to pave the way for a life sciences "incubator" building, state funding for which is available if enough prospective tenants can be secured. Thurston told the economic development group's board he is working with the city to insure broadband availability, and negotiating with CSX Railroad for rail access from the site of the proposed complex. A "rough marketing plan" has been crafted, said the director, which has identified around 2,000 potential leads for businesses that might be interested in the life sciences center

• A publicity campaign by Winstanley Partners, which the organization recently retained for a three-year contract to help market the park, has yielded some initial fruits, including articles in several publications and websites. Exposure from this media attention, which includes this recent blurb in Business West, has exposed the park to a web circulation of about 172,000 and a print circulation of around 20,000.

• After a detailed discussion of its insurance needs, the board voted to authorized its Finance Committee to hold a special meeting next Tuesday to choose a new insurance policy for the site. PEDA is seeking to replace its current $50 million policy, which expires this month, with a less costly policy in the neighborhood of $10 million

Tags: bridge, business park, PEDA, railroad, railway, transportation,

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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