Norfolk's Key Park St Bridge Has No Reopening Date

MassDOT warned Norfolk of the imminent and sudden closure of the Park Street Bridge (aka Preston Legge Memorial Bridge) off of Main Street in Norfolk on Friday Dec. 6 (and it was reported here on Monday   the 9th).

To date, according to a DOT source, there is no firm end date for the closure. 
According to the source, the
safety of a bridge is determined by both an inspection and a load
capacity rating. Every Massachusetts bridge is inspected at least on
a biennial basis. Based on these findings, bridges are graded as
Good, Fair or Poor (previously known as structurally deficient). A
poor bridge does not mean that a bridge is unsafe, it was explained, but is an
indication that some or all of the bridge components require repair
or replacement. Poor rated bridges are inspected more frequently.

The
structural issues are corrosion of the exposed steel reinforcement,
which may be indicative of section losses to the prestressing
strands. These strands, which are steel wires used to strengthen the
concrete beams, are mostly obscured from view because they are
embedded in concrete. Section loss means that parts of these strands
are losing cross-sectional area, which can reduce the concrete beam's
load carrying capacity.

The
prestressed concrete beams were downgraded from fair condition to
poor condition in 2020. Since then, MassDOT has increased the
inspection frequency from every two years to every year. The last
inspection occurred in May 2024. Out of an abundance of caution for
public safety and the traveling public, MassDOT decided to close the
bridge to vehicular traffic. Closure of the bridge prior to the
winter season will reduce de-icing chemicals on the bridge and allow
MassDOT to perform an in-depth evaluation of the structure.

The
bridge was in fair condition prior to the 2020 inspection, it was explained.

For
the short term, MassDOT will perform an in-depth evaluation of the
structure to determine whether the bridge can be re-opened in some
capacity. MassDOT is committed to providing updates to the
surrounding communities as this work progresses.

MassDOT
does not anticipate the current closure to affect the commuter rail
below the bridge. Any and all future work on the bridge will be
coordinated with the appropriate parties responsible for the track.