Comm Ave Bridge Project Recapped in Pictures
BU photographers capture phase two of major construction undertaking
For the thousands of students returning to campus last week, it was smooth sailing on Comm Ave, despite some heavier than usual congestion. But that congestion paled in comparison to just a few weeks ago, when the avenue and the BU Bridge were closed to most vehicular traffic during phase two of the Comm Ave Bridge reconstruction project. Phase one of the commonwealth’s massive undertaking to rebuild the concrete surface and steel beams that support Comm Ave as it passes over the Mass Pike (the intersection diagonally in front of the GSU) was done last summer.
For just over two weeks, starting July 26, MBTA Green Line B trolleys were replaced with shuttle buses from Blandford Street to Babcock Street as construction crews working 24/7 used accelerated bridge construction techniques—including prefabricated girders and concrete deck panels—to replace the bridge’s westbound lane. The $110 million project, scheduled to finish on August 11, was completed on time. An average of 200 workers were on site at any given time during each 24-hour period. This summer’s project stats: 45 bridge beams collectively weighing 66 tons, 680 cubic yards of concrete, and 520 tons (a million pounds) of hot mix asphalt.
The good news? The new bridge is expected to last for 75 years.
BU Today photographers trekked out to the site almost every day, often in sweltering heat, to document this engineering marvel. Take a look.
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