Pleasant Street Bridge over Blackstone River, Grafton, Massachusetts

The project is located on Pleasant Street in the Town of Grafton, Massachusetts. The existing bridge is an historic stone arch structure that will be carefully dismantled. After marking and cataloging the location of each arch stone, the bridge will be carefully dismantled under the supervision of a qualified stone mason. In the same location of the existing bridge, a new reinforced concrete structure will be constructed on top of a steel pile foundation to provide a new structure that can withstand today's traffic loads. The original stones will then be placed back onto the bridge fascia in their original locations. The bridge will now have the inner strength of a modern bridge while maintaining its outer original appearance and historical integrity.

Photographs: Existing structure and detail

Shown above is the existing bridge. Note the stone arch detail (right) that will be preserved and restored to the finished structure. The byway is currently closed to traffic and is scheduled for a 2009 opening.

Last updated March 24, 2009