Project Overview
A high-profile project along a series of parks created by Frederick Law Olmsted in the early 1890s included three small bridges.
The United States Army Corps of Engineers New England District undertook a project to restore and prevent flooding along a historic network of rivers known as the Emerald Necklace.
Engineering & Flood Mitigation
Two of these were 24’ span precast arches designed to handle heavy water flow under Riverway Drive and Brookline Ave. This area saw an extreme flood event in 1996 during which damage was estimated at $70 million. The third was a 16’ span precast arch under Louis Pasteur Ave.
The bridges and wingwalls are supported by 36” diameter x 50’ long drilled caissons. Granite veneers with capstones provide a durable and aesthetic end treatment for each bridge.
Bridge Design & Precast Architecture
The project also included two similar bridges at Kelly Ave. and Third Ave. Clear-span precast arches were chosen to stay out of the main channel. Precast headwalls and wingwalls feature a formliner finish, which was stained in the field. The same formliner was used for cast-in-place railing at the job site, creating a seamless transition
Project Team
Owner: City of Boston, MA
Engineer: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Contractor: Charter Environmental, Inc.
Precast Producer: United Concrete Products, Inc.
Technical Details
Span: 24 ft, 24 ft, 16 ft
Rise: 10 ft
Length: 174 ft, 156 ft, 180 ft
Cover: 7 ft, 8 ft 6 in, 7 ft 6 in
Live Load: HL-93
Skew: None
Type: Arch-Box
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