Federal Funding Awarded for North Washington Bridge Replacement

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation has announced that it has received federal funding for the replacement of the North Washington Street Bridge, the bridge that carries traffic between Charlestown and the North End in Boston. The $50.5 million award will also fund replacing a bridge that carries Route 44 over Route 24 in Raynham.

“These federal funds will allow us to invest in key transportation projects that will better allow travelers to safely and reliably get to where they need to go using their preferred mode of transportation,” said Acting Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver. “We appreciate the Federal Highway Administration distributing these important dollars and thank the MassDOT staff members who are helping improve our infrastructure and better connect people with the places that improve their quality of life.”

The upcoming North Washington Street Bridge Replacement Project will start construction later this year or in early 2018 and is expected to last 4 years. As it stands, the current bridge is over a century old and will be replaced with a newer, more modern design set to match that of the Zakim Bridge aesthetically.

During construction, the bridge will remain open with reduced lanes. Mass DOT will implement changeable message signs throughout the surrounding areas along Route 128 to divert non-local traffic away from the bridge. This allows the remaining lanes on the bridge to be occupied by local traffic and provides emergency vehicle access. Closer to the bridge will also be signage for local traffic information.