Hadley Overpass Reconstruction Officially Complete
.JPG) MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack tours the completed Hadley Overpass with Mayor Richard Alcombright. |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — After eight years, two mayors, three governors, seven secretaries of transportation, at least three missed deadlines and $35 million, the Hadley Overpass reconstruction came officially to an end at 1 p.m. on Wednesday.
"The absolute beauty about today is that we no longer have to care about when the bridge will be done because folks — the bridge is done," declared Mayor Richard Alcombright. "I hope you feel the same sense of excitement that I feel knowing that this is done and that this beautiful structure will be a landmark for this city for many, many years to come."
There was no ribbon cutting but a few officials and representatives from the state Department of Transportation and contractors gathered under a tent with the mayor and MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack to mark the bridge's completion. J.H. Maxymillian Inc. was the contractor and Ryan-Biggs Associates PC the structural engineering firm contractor.
Traffic roared over the span and a few motorists honked horns as Alcombright walked Pollack to the top of the span to see the city below.
"It's your gateway and we've got to get it right," she said, looking out toward Main Street. "The work the community is doing to really bring this back and to build an economy for the 21st century based on what really makes sense for the region in the 21st century is critical. And our administration will continue to be a partner in that.
"The bridge is done, but the partnership is not."
The overpass, built in 1940, had last been repaired in the late 1970s. Officials including then Mayor John Barrett III had lobbied hard for the state to fix what had become an "embarrassment" on the city's main entrance on Route 8. The rusty 940-foot span had turned into a "Green Monster" that was both hazardous because of pieces falling off the bottom and unsightly with its peeling green paint.
Former Gov. Deval Patrick had been pressed about the deteriorating bridge while running for governor and it was one of the first in line for the state's accelerated bridge program.
Planning for reconstruction had started a few years earlier, and then Highway Commissioner Luysa Paiewonsky toured the structure in 2007, saying that "getting it done quickly is important."
Nineteen months later, she was at the groundbreaking for a project estimated at $24 million with a completion date of 2011.
But 2011 passed, as did a second date in 2012 - which was actually carved into the bridge's reconstructed art deco pillars. In 2013, MassHighway was shooting for a completion date in 2014, which also came and went.
Motorists had dealt with partial lanes, closures, equipment and noise up through much of last year. Alcombright joked that his constant phone calls about the bridge to former Highway District 1 Director Peter Niles had prompted his retirement.
The bridge's renovation had turned into a far more lengthy reconstruction as crews found issues with the structure.
"Once we made the commitment to fix the Hadley, it was critically important that we do it right, and it got done right," Pollack said. "We ran into more problems than we thought we were going to have to face, more time and money were spent to make sure that the investment was the right investment.
"This particular piece of infrastructure is now ready to serve both as a transportation and economic development piece of North Adams and the region for the 21st century."
The overpass, the longest in Berkshire County, now sports black railings and vintage-style lighting. Distinctive red trusses span the new concrete pillars below.
Standing where the groundbreaking had occurred almost seven years before, Alcombright said he had reached out to MassDOT to have an event as a way to thank everyone who had been with the project over the years. He also thanked the city's residents for their "patience and forbearance."
"Yes, we were inconvenienced a lot but look at what we have ... the bridge each and every day gives visitors and residents alike a gorgeous view of the downtown, reflecting so much of our history.
"And today is a very happy day for me and for the city."
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