Gloucester Drawbridge Replacement Substantially Completed
Updated on December 23, 2022
On December 14, the MBTA announced that construction on the new Gloucester Drawbridge is substantially complete, fully operational, and open to marine traffic. The Gloucester Drawbridge carries the Rockport Commuter Rail Line over the Annisquam River. The $100 million project began in 2018 and replaces a bridge originally constructed in 1911.
The bridge is fully functional and operating. It can support train service on both tracks and is able to open on demand to marine traffic. The installation of Automatic Train Control (ATC) on the Newbury/Rockport Line has also been completed.
Regular train service resumed between Beverly and Rockport Stations on Monday, December 19, and a new Fall/Winter schedule is now in effect.
Newburyport/Rockport line riders can expect a faster and more reliable. Access for boats within the waterways beneath the bridge has also been improved. Additional benefits include safety upgrades as part of the federally required Positive Train Control (PTC) safety system and associated Automatic Train Control (ATC) signal upgrade work.
The PTC system monitors trains in real time and reduces speeds when needed to prevent collisions. ATC is a required part of the PTC system. Phase I PTC work was completed on the Newburyport/Rockport line in 2020. Phase II work included the implementation of ATC upgrades, which continued to take place in fall 2022, with shuttle buses replacing trains for two months between Rockport and Beverly.
Remaining construction on the project includes the installation of sheet pile wall along the edge of the causeway, just west of the bridge, along with minor items like touch up painting and additional signage. The project is on target to have all remaining punch list work completed by the end of Spring 2023.
See Newburyport/Rockport Line service alerts
For More Information
If you have questions or comments, please email the team at GloucesterDraw@MBTA.com.
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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.
Related Projects
Get Involved
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