Rehabilitation of a 368-ft-long,70-year-old Warren through-truss bridge in Westfield, Mass., is now a major urban revitalization project that includes three bridges and a half-acre of parkland, as crews deal with live trains, endangered mussels and sub-zero temperatures. “Originally, in 1994, we were just studying the old bridge,” says Mark Ennis, project manager for STV Inc., New York City, the principal architectural and engineering firm for the $70-million project. “We found it could be rehabbed. The work would involve replacing the deck system and some strengthening of truss members, repainting and updating of the bearing systems.”
But STV also noticed the three-lane bridge was a choke point for Westfield, 100 miles west of Boston, with the Massachusetts Turnpike only a mile away. Through discussions with the city and the state Highway Dept., “a larger project blossomed,” says Ennis.