P&W Overpass Replacement in Holden, MA

[Jeff Smith]

http://www.thedailyholden.com/Articles- ... laced.html

August 17, 2011 - HOLDEN, Mass. — The Providence Worcester Railroad will be replacing the old railroad bridge over Main St. by Adams Road starting this Friday, Aug. 19, and possibly going into Monday, August 22.

In the the past, trucks have often become stuck underneath the bridge, and now the aging structure is being replaced for safety reasons, according to Town Manager Nancy Galkowski, who said it "was not in good shape."

http://www.telegram.com/article/2011081 ... 003/NEWS03

Mrs. Galkowski said increased traffic and heavier loads forced the replacement of the bridge.

“They were concerned about the safety of the bridge,” Mrs. Galkowski said. “It has to be done.”

[trainsinmaine]

I don't mean to be picky, but isn't this an underpass?

I always liked this old bridge. I hate to see it go. I hope the P&W paints its "Providence and Worcester Railroad" ID on the new structure, as it had the present one. Not many railroads have continued that custom.

[Jeff Smith]

Looks like an overpass to me. The road is an underpass; guess it depends on your perspective....

[trainsinmaine]

Hmm. I've always assumed, ever since I was a kid, that an underpass, by definition, is a bridge where a road passes UNDER a railroad track and that an overpass is one where a road passes OVER a track. (Excuse the capitalizations, please; for some reason I can't do italics here.)

Have I been wrong lo, these fifty-plus years?

[MEC407]

They're all just bridges to me.

[Jeff Smith]

Like I said, it's perspective. If you're on the rails, that would be an overpass; if you're in a car, underpass. But that's how I've always figured it. Most of us are on roads, and the mapmakers treat it that way.

[MEC407]

Article in today's The Daily Holden:

The Providence and Worcester Railroad Company began the four-day long project of replacing the approximately 120-year-old railroad bridge over Main St. by Adams Road on Friday, with traffic expected to be detoured into Monday afternoon as workers take down the current structure and construct a new, slightly higher bridge.

Read more at: http://www.thedailyholden.com/Articles- ... egins.html

[MEC407]

Is the new bridge in place yet? Anyone have any pictures?

[161pw165]

No pictures, but the Gardner line was back open on Monday.

[MEC407]

Has anyone seen the new bridge? Just wondering if P&W painted their name on the girders like they did with the old one.

[Red Wing]

Went by it today, P&W is not painted on it and it looks just like the old one.