Plantation Street Bridge Replacement Project
Massachusetts Department of Transportation
Worcester, Massachusetts
The Plantation Street Bridge is a single-span structure where Plantation Street crosses over CSX rail corridor. The project addressed the structural needs of the crossing, as well as improved cross-section width, approach geometry, and intersection safety at the intersection of Pleasant and Aitchison Streets. It included providing a five-foot shoulder adjacent to the travel in both directions to comply with current Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Complete Streets directives. The first stage of construction maintained one lane of traffic in each direction over the bridge. The second stage reduced the bridge to a single northbound travel lane. This method of construction impacted the southbound travel over the bridge for approximately 90 days. After construction of the bridge was completed, the sidewalks were replaced and new pavement markings were installed along Plantation and Aitchison Streets within the study area. The final configuration of Plantation Street continues to feature one 11-foot travel lane in each direction but the cross-section was widened to provide five-foot shoulders to accommodate cyclists. Concrete sidewalks approximately six-feet-wide were provided along both sides of the roadway. The intersection of Plantation Street at Aitchison Street continues to operate as an unsignalized intersection.