Select Board approves key design choices for Bridge 42 replacement
Summary
The Jamaica Select Board approved designers' recommendations for Bridge 42, endorsing metallized coatings for steel girders, a larger-scale stone-face concrete finish without pigment, dark-green powder-coated steel railings, and striping that will functionally make the bridge single-lane with pedestrian shoulders. Designers will present final plans July 13.
The Jamaica Select Board on June 8 approved a package of aesthetic and safety recommendations for the planned replacement of Bridge 42, the steel-girder span that provides access to Jamaica State Park. The board voted to accept metallized coatings for the bridge girders, pick a larger quarried-stone pattern for the poured concrete facing without pigment, use a darker green powder-coated steel railing, and stripe the deck so it operates as a one-lane bridge with shoulders for pedestrians and cyclists.
A Select Board member summarized the engineering recommendation before the vote: "I will make a recommendation that we stick with their recommendation of the metallized coatings on the steel girders." The board approved that motion. Designers said metallized coating offers a longer lifespan and lower maintenance than painted steel, and they noted the steel girders are expected to last with the structure — roughly a 75-year design life — when protected.
On finishes, board members accepted a recommendation for a larger-scale stone block appearance for the concrete form liners and agreed not to add pigment, saying the concrete will age to a natural patina. The member who moved that motion told the board there was no construction cost difference between the finish options.
Board members also agreed to a dark green powder-coating for the safety railings to help the structure blend with the local landscape. On traffic configuration, designers proposed striping that will allow the wider new deck to be striped for effectively one-lane operation (center travel lane with shoulders for pedestrians and bicyclists). The board discussed trade-offs for occasional two-way passage and accepted the recommended striping for safety and multiuse access.
Designers told the board they will return with final plans and a formal presentation at the July 13 meeting (in-person or via Zoom). The Select Board stressed that having final design packets ready helps the town remain eligible for future construction funding and to be slotted promptly if funding becomes available.
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