Hospital Road Bridge over the Nashua River

BETA was commissioned by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) to design a new bridge that would carry Hospital Road over the Nashua River in Devens, a planned business community developed by the Massachusetts Development Finance Agency, between the Towns of Harvard and Shirley, Massachusetts. The project aimed to provide a sustainable solution to the existing bridge’s issues and improve the community’s transportation system.

Our structural team designed a three-span replacement structure using prestressed concrete box beams and a reinforced concrete deck supported on concrete piers and abutments. The new abutments founded on drilled shafts were installed behind the existing abutments, ensuring the bridge’s stability. Two new piers, supported by drilled concrete shafts built in the river between the existing piers, which were removed down to just below the mud line, further enhance the bridge’s structural integrity.

To improve the roadway geometrics and ensure adequate utility coverage, the roadway was raised by approximately three feet at the bridge, requiring the reconstruction and widening of the roadway approaches on both sides of the bridge. A temporary utility bridge was also constructed to the south of the existing bridge and roadway, ensuring that the existing utilities remained in service during construction.

With the new bridge completed, the community now enjoys a safer and more efficient way to travel over the Nashua River.