Dedham East Street Bridge Replacement
Building a Better T
As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.
We’re replacing the bridge that carries the Franklin Line over East Street between the Endicott and Dedham Corporate Center stations.
The current East Street Bridge, which was built in 1904, has a height of 12' 3", which has led to many truck collisions. The MBTA continues to partner with the Town of Dedham to enforce the existing truck exclusion on East Street.
To ensure the safety of MBTA riders and those who travel below the bridge, we will replace the current bridge to comply with bridge height standards and protect it from future collision damage.
- Construction start: Summer 2024
- Projected completion: Summer 2026
- Construction contract value: $16.47 million
Project Overview
To reduce service disruptions and inconveniences to neighbors, we'll complete work in phases. Construction is anticipated to begin in Summer 2024.
- New bridge with anticipated design life of 75 years
- Improved horizontal and vertical clearances along East Street under the bridge to comply with Massachusetts and AASHTO requirements
- Greater 14' bridge height significantly reduces possibility of truck collisions with underside of bridge
- Improved roadway features, including new continuous sidewalks on both sides of East Street under the bridge, and travel lanes widened from 11' 6" to 14', including 2' shoulders.
- Provides safer, more resilient, and more reliable service on the Franklin Line
- Brings the bridge to a State of Good Repair
- Reduces future maintenance costs and service impacts affecting the bridge and East Street
- Wider travel lanes eliminate the bottleneck under the bridge and improve traffic flow
- Improves safety of pedestrians who walk under the bridge
- Reduces occurrences of overheight vehicle collisions with the bridge, which cause service delays and traffic complications
- Raising the Dedham East Street Bridge height to 14' complies with the federal recommended standard and exceeds the 13' 6" Massachusetts maximum legal truck height.
- Utilities located below nearby Westwood East Street Bridge limited our ability to lower the road, but we have raised the bridge above the 13' 6" truck height limit.
Service Impacts
Workers on the East Street Bridge Replacement Project will use accelerated bridge construction (ABC) techniques. They will construct the new bridge superstructure adjacent to the current bridge and move it into place over a single scheduled weekend to minimize prolonged East Street traffic closures and construction impacts to MBTA operations, traffic, and neighbors.
- Endicott Station will remain open throughout the project.
- We will close the track around the bridge during some weekends to complete construction. This will impact Franklin Line Commuter Rail Service. Bus shuttles will replace train service during these weekends.
- We will define detour routes when the design phase is complete, and will publicize them once they're approved. We’ll post detour route signs during traffic closures.
- To reduce construction noise, workers will use drilled micropiles instead of driving foundation piles.
East Street Drainage Impacts
The roadway design will address any construction impacts on existing drainage along East Street.
Past Events
Contact Us
For all questions and comments related to the Dedham East Street Bridge Replacement, please contact the project team at EastStBridge@MBTA.com.
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Related Projects
Building a Better T
As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.