Minnesota's bridge collapse should be a wake-up call for Massachusetts, which has 506 bridges rated structurally deficient, said engineers and others who have studied the state's aging infrastructure.
State officials said the commonwealth has 27 bridges with steel designs similar to the Minnesota span, including ones on Farwell Street in Waltham and Mill Street in Maynard. None is in any danger of collapsing, they said, touting the state's bridge inspection program.
Even so, a recent report found the Bay State has to catch up on lagging road and bridge repairs and faces a roughly $19 billion shortfall to pay for basic transportation maintenance over the next 20 years.
"It's sort of a red flag," said Michael Widmer, head of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation and member of the Transportation Finance Commission, which predicted the multibillion-dollar funding gap in March. "It's an early warning that there are not only long-term economic consequences, but on occasion, clearly public safety issues."
The cause of Wednesday's bridge collapse is not yet known. The Massachusetts Highway Department could not provide information bridges in the region yesterday.
Altogether, this state has 5,050 bridges, according to MassHighway. The Massachusetts Turnpike Authority also has labeled 25 of its 480 bridges as structurally deficient.
During a stop in Foxborough, Gov. Deval Patrick said state officials are re-examining bridge inspection records - especially for those 27 steel truss deck bridges - to ensure there are no problems.
"We have inherited a legacy of negligence on infrastructure," Patrick said. "We are in a very deep hole (in terms of) maintenance."
Patrick later said he is concerned about bridges rated as structurally deficient - the same rating as the bridge that came down in Minnesota - but he is not "alarmed." Massachusetts has "robust bridge inspection protocol," Patrick said.
The governor said his soon-to-be-released capital plan will take important steps to address neglected infrastructure. He said for the cap on borrowing for state capital needs should be raised from $1.25 billion to $1.5 billion.
While the state is diligent about bridge inspections, there generally has to be new approach to maintaining public infrastructure, said John Grieco, a professional engineer from Southborough.
Grieco is involved with the Engineering Center, a Boston nonprofit that formed a group called the Massachusetts Infrastructure Investment Coalition. In 2005, that coalition released a report outlining a looming financial crisis with regards to maintaining bridges constructed between the 1950s and 1970s.
Too often, big changes come in reaction to a tragedy like the one in Minnesota, said Grieco.
"That mentality somewhat has to change," he said. "It's a constant battle of making sure that you ... maintain your bridges so that your structurally deficient bridges don't get ahead of you."
The Pioneer Institute also released a recent report focusing on the aging Longfellow Bridge between Boston and Cambridge, saying the span is symptomatic of broader infrastructure problems.
Widmer said the Transportation Finance Committee plans to recommend this fall how the state can start trying to close that anticipated $19 billion shortfall to maintain transit systems.
State Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford, said he looks forward to hearing more from Widmer's group. "I'm concerned that the transportation system, which is so important to all of us on a day-to-day basis, is evidently in some disrepair," said Fernandes, a member of the joint transportation committee.
Fernandes said state agencies should look at running more efficiently before legislators consider trying to raise additional revenue for repairs.
"I'm a believer the public will spend money that it believes is being spent wisely to deliver services that people realize we need," Fernandes said. "The problem that government has today is the disconnect in the public's mind between the payment and the delivery of the service."
Despite occasional problems with bridges in this area, some local officials said they fear no imminent problems with spans in their towns.
MassHighway recently repaired a Natick bridge that dumped crumbling concrete onto commuter rail tracks in June, despite a January inspection that deemed the bridge safe.
MassHighway also plans a $1.2 million rehab of Hopedale's Mill Street Bridge, among other recent projects in the region.
"I'm relying on the Mass. Highway Department to inspect these bridges and rate them," said Peter Sellers, Framingham's public works director. "Based on the information that's provided to me, I would just have to say I'm fairly comfortable with what we have."
MassHighway is in contact with federal and Minnesota officials for updates on the bridge collapse.
The agency released a statement saying its bridge inspections exceed federal guidelines, requiring hands-on exams every six to 12 months, depending on a bridge's condition. MassHighway handles inspections for 4,410 bridges, including 1,551 owned by municipalities, the statement said.
(Staff writers Paul Crocetti and Lindsey Parietti contributed to this story. David Riley can be reached at 508-626-3919 or driley@cnc.com.)
Neighbors draw line on traffic
By Greg Duggan
DAILY NEWS STAFF
WESTWOOD - A neighborhood group from Everett Street and Forbes Road now officially exists, and member say it will protect their interests in court if necessary.
As expected, the Everett Forbes Neighborhood Association has hired traffic consultant engineer Conley Associates Inc. to review any plans to change roads in the Canton Street, Everett Street and Forbes Road area. The town has its own consultant, Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc., working on plans to reduce traffic in the area.
Many consider traffic on Canton Street already a problem. They fear it could get worse if the $1.5 billion, 4.5-million-square-foot Westwood Station development is built. That project is slated to include retail, office, residential and hotel space.
Whereas the town has said it wants to consider the area on a larger scale, the 40 or so members of the Everett Forbes Neighborhood Association want to protect their neighborhood.
John Harding, a Forbes Road resident and organizing force behind the neighborhood association, sent an e-mail to Economic Development Advisory Board Chairman Steve Rafsky on Monday with a number of requests from the association. Rafsky, a Canton Street resident, has long been involved with any plans to alter Canton Street and area roads.
In the e-mail, Harding asked to set up a time for the neighborhood association and Conley Associates to review traffic plans. Before a meeting, Harding wants the town to notify residents, provide the association with plans and any written reports. At the meeting, he wants at least one selectman present, as well as a representative from Vanasse Hangen Brustlin or Traffic Solutions.
Traffic Solutions is the consultant for Westwood Station builder Cabot, Cabot & Forbes, and is working on road plans with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin.
Rafsky passed the requests on to the selectmen.
Selectmen Chairwoman Nancy Hyde did not say whether each request would be met.
"The Board of Selectmen and town have been working hard on this matter for months," Hyde said yesterday. "We've been as inclusive as possible. We've worked hard to accommodate people's schedules, including holding meetings in the neighborhood. We'll continue to do so."
Harding threatened legal action and public political action if selectmen do not consider the requests, but did not give further details that would reveal specific strategy.
"If we can work out a plan that resolves the traffic concerns without making our neighborhood look like downtown Baghdad, there will be no need for anything further," Harding said.
The town wants to redesign Canton Street and surrounding roads to stop drivers from bypassing traffic at the interchange of Interstates 93 and 95. At the same time, the town hopes to prevent the streets from becoming access points to Westwood Station on nearby University Avenue.
Plans and traffic analysis for Westwood Station assume that Canton Street will be closed with a cul-de-sac - the original concept for the road that met opposition from neighboring towns and some Westwood residents. Planning Board Chairman Rob Malster has stressed the board needs a finalized plan before it can complete Westwood Station hearings.
Joanie Morgan, a resident of nearby Weatherbee Drive, wanted to know why more residents in the area hadn't been invited to traffic meetings.
Hyde said the meetings were meant for a smaller traffic advisory group, and the town would likely have a larger, open meeting for all residents later in the process.
Ultimately, as street commissioners, the selectmen have final say on how most of the streets can be changed. Because Canton Street is a county way, the Norfolk County commissioners also hold authority over the road. The full division of power is unclear.
Daily News staff writer Greg Duggan can be reached at 781-433-8355 or gduggan@cnc.com.
