MassDOT Board Approves $251 Million Replacement of Basiliere Bridge in Downtown Haverhill

On Wednesday, the MassDOT Board of Directors approved a quarter-billion dollar project to replace the Basiliere Bridge over the Merrimack River in downtown Haverhill with a new span that will include wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and an improved connection to the Bradford Rail Trail on the city’s southern riverbank. The current Basiliere Bridge connects Main Street over the Merrimack River, from the city’s downtown on the northern bank to the Bradford neighborhood on the southern bank. The existing bridge is a century old, with deteriorating arches and a potholed bridge deck. The new bridge will be slightly wider, with a similarly-sized roadway and wider side paths that will be separated from the roadway with curbs and guardrails. The cross-section of the existing 1925 Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill. Courtesy of MassDOT. The proposed cross-section of the new Basiliere Bridge in Haverhill includes wider sidewalks with protected bike lanes on both sides. Courtesy of MassDOT. The contract for the project will go to the Middlesex Corporation, which submitted the lowest bid among three shortlisted design-build firms. The contract with Middlesex will be worth $215 million, and contingency costs will bring the project’s total budget to $251 million. The Middlesex bid was
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