ORANGE — The first phase of overnight demolition operations to replace the structurally-deficient Route 2 bridge over Route 202 in Orange is slated to begin Monday and take three weeks to complete, according to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation.
The work will take place weekdays, Monday through Thursday, from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. MassDOT reports the work will require the closure of Route 202 during construction, with traffic temporarily detoured to Route 2A.
Travel on Route 2 will be permitted during the overnight work. Lanes of travel on Route 202 will reopen by 6 a.m. each day, according to MassDOT. The work is weather dependent and could be affected by an emergency.
Approximately 9 feet on each side of the bridge will be demolished during Phase I. There will be two 12-foot lanes (one in each direction) remaining in the center of the bridge with barriers.
“Drivers traveling through the affected areas should expect delays, reduce speed and use caution,” MassDOT’s statement reads.
Colin Killay, Orange’s superintendent of highway, cemeteries and parks, said this is a state project and his department will have no involvement, though the completed work will offer an improvement for people traveling Route 2.
“The deck was really rough, the surface and everything,” he said. “It’s definitely a safety improvement.”
Town Administrator Gabriele Voelker said she was pleased to learn the project will begin soon.
Orange chose to have the work be done by E.T.& L. Corp. of Stow for $15.1 million — the lowest of three bids received. The work was expected to cost $18.1 million once contingencies, construction engineering and traffic police detail get factored in. Eighty percent of the project will be paid for with federal money, while state funding will fund the rest.
Each phase will consist of the demolition of a section of the bridge and the reconstruction of that section. This process will continue through the three phases so one lane of traffic in each direction can be maintained.
According to MassDOT, the bridge will also be widened by about 23 feet to deal with deterioration. A previous press release from MassDOT stated the project will begin at the limit of the previous Route 2 reconstruction project — approximately 2,280 feet west of the bridge and to roughly 640 feet east of it. There is also expected to be about 480 feet of milling and overlay on Route 2 and approximately 650 feet of it on Route 202.
Reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 262.