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Blackstone hears engineers’ $4.16M estimate for Bridge Street repairs, $2.22M for stone-arch bridge
Summary
Town Administrator presented a July PAR engineering evaluation that estimates roughly $4.16 million to repair Bridge Street and about $2.22 million to repair the Saint Paul Street stone-arch bridge. Officials agreed to solicit engineers for bid-ready documents and pursue grants; no funding vote was taken.
Town of Blackstone officials heard a detailed engineering briefing on Sept. 10 about two bridges the town must repair and how to pay for that work.
The town administrator said PAR Corporation’s July 3 evaluation places the opinion of probable construction cost for Bridge Street (over the Blackstone River) at approximately $4,156,000 and the Saint Paul Street stone-arch bridge at about $2,218,000. "PAR is estimating it's $4,100,000 to do all the repairs listed," the administrator said, summarizing the Bridge Street breakdown, which includes beam-end repairs, painting and access platforms, deck repairs, and pier-joint work.
Board members and public works staff questioned components of the estimates during the presentation — in particular the large painting and access-platform line items and how railings and sidewalks would be treated — and discussed whether to pursue a pre-engineered (precast) replacement, in-place repairs, or a hybrid approach. Superintendent Jimmy (unnamed) and the town administrator discussed options to minimize traffic disruption, including staged or weekend operations where feasible.
Several selectmen and a member of the capital outlay committee urged using grant programs rather than municipal-only borrowing. The town administrator said staff will "reach out and start working on a spec for engineers to come back with some pricing" to produce bid-ready documents and to determine whether prefabricated solutions could cut time or cost.
No appropriation or contract was approved at the meeting. The board directed the administration to solicit engineering proposals to develop specifications and pricing and to return with more precise costs and a recommended funding plan. Officials noted the projects would likely require warrant articles and town-meeting approvals for construction funding.
