Skanska Koch, as a member of a joint venture, was awarded a $245 million design-build contract by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for the Fore River Bridge Replacement. The Fore River Bridge, which carries approximately 32,000 vehicles every day, connects the towns of Quincy and Weymouth via Route 3A. The new movable bridge will not only serve to accommodate motorists and marine traffic, but will include bicycle and pedestrian lanes.
The work involved in this project includes the design and the construction of a vertical lift bridge between the towns of Weymouth and Quincy in the Boston Metropolitan area. The bridge involves a structural steel lift span with a length of approximately 324 feet with supporting towers of approximately 230 feet in height. The towers are situated over a cast-in-place concrete plinth approximately 50 feet in height and supported by two individual pile caps on each side supported by over-drilled shafts.
In addition to the lift bridge, the project also includes a 3 span approach structure on each side of the bridge. These structures involve a cast-in-place deck with either bulb tee girders or steel girders supported by a 3-column pier with a cast-in-place pier cap, supported on a pile cap and drilled shafts. Each approach span will be approximately 185 feet in length. The project also includes a fender system, roadway lighting, bridge machinery and operating package, and the demolition of the existing temporary lift span.
