Craigie Dam Bridge Craigie Drawbridge

About This Project

The Craigie Dam and Craigie Drawbridge carry McGrath O’Brien Highway (Route 28) between Land Blvd. in Cambridge and Leverett Circle in Boston. As part of the $3 billion Patrick – Murray Accelerated Bridge Program, a construction contract was awarded to J. F. White of Framingham in June 2009 for the structural rehabilitation of the Dam Bridge and the complete replacement of the Drawbridge. The project was completed in August of 2011.	Meeting Materials and Documents Traffic Information
Purpose and Goals
Craigie Dam Bridge Project The Craigie Dam Bridge consists of 9 sluice ways and was constructed in 1906. Project goals included replacing all damaged and deteriorated structural members along with the reconstruction of the bridge deck and the sidewalks. The pedestrian walkway on the southwest side of the bridge (adjacent to the Museum of Science) was widened to accommodate pedestrians and bicycles. Craigie Drawbridge Project The Craigie Drawbridge is a Twin Double-Leaf Bascule Bridge was originally constructed in 1910 and replaced in 1962. This project included the complete replacement of the bridge superstructure and bridge deck as well as all the machinery and electrical components. During construction temporary bridge structures were utilized to carry traffic.
Drawbridge Replacement Phases
Starting in November 2010 through April 2011, MassDOT’s contractor successfully completed a 24/7 rapid replacement of the Craigie Drawbridge as required by United States Coast Guard permit. The drawbridge replacement was broken down into the following phases: Contractor installed temporary bridges over the existing bridge (November 2010 – December 2010) Contractor demolished the existing bridge and repaired the bridge substructure (December 2010 – January 2011) Contractor installed a new pre-fabricated bridge (January 2011 – April 2011) Streetscape and landscape work to be completed ( April 2011 – August 2011) Phase 1 - Contractor installed temporary bridges over the existing bridge. Phase 2 - Contractor demolished existing drawbridge and made substructure repairs. Phase 3 - New pre-fabricated drawbridge leafs are installed.
Project Updates
For more information, please use the project feedback e-mail at: dot.feedback.highway@state.ma.us or see Contact Us.