Lake Quinsig bridge carries nautical theme

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  Mollison Norton Corp. electrician Walter Zalawitch, right, and apprentice Jameson Cole install LED lighting on the 50-foot sail installed at the entrance to Burns Bridge on Aug. 26. Four sails will be installed on each corner of the bridge. T&G Staff/Christine Hochkeppel
  
  

  

  
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  By Elaine Thompson
  Telegram & Gazette Staff

  
  Posted Sep. 5, 2015 at 8:57 PM
  Updated at 8:56 AM
  
  
  

  About three-and-a-half years of hard work, 4.5 million pounds of steel and 5,500 cubic yards of concrete later, one of the most spectacular bridges in the Commonwealth has emerged.

  The new Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge, which spans Lake Quinsigamond and links Worcester to Shrewsbury via Route 9, is essentially complete, all except for some of the nautical-themed trimmings.

  The $90 million project to replace the 99-year-old bridge came in under budget and four months ahead of schedule. It began in 2012 with an estimated cost of about $118 million and a January 2016 completion date.  About 80 percent of the cost was paid from federal transportation funds with Massachusetts funding the difference.

  The project, considered a signature initiative of the state's Accelerated Bridge Program, replaced the old 67-foot-wide, bridge with one that is 143 feet wide, with three lanes in each direction instead of two. About 45,000 vehicles travel the stretch of Route 9 daily.

  "I like it," said Timothy P. Murray, president and chief executive officer of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Murray was lieutenant governor when the project began and helped to promote the program to repair or replace dozens of structurally deficient bridges. He said during planning for the project, he stressed that the Burns Bridge is not "just a typical bridge" and that it should be "a signature bridge."

  "It serves as a gateway to both Worcester and Shrewsbury. It's an important area economic thoroughfare on both sides," he continued. "I think at the end of the day we have a great functional product and one within a reasonable budget number as well. It's a huge improvement from what we had and I think it's real positive."

  The new structure is a steel deck arch bridge with five spans. There is a 6-foot-wide bike lane, a 7-foot-wide sidewalk on each side with bumped-out viewing areas above the lake, benches and history story panels. The clearance under the bridge has been increased from 18 feet to 23.5 feet above the water.

  The bridge is substantially complete except for some punch-list items, including some of the aesthetic elements.

  Nautical sails, with masts 46.5 feet tall and 51-feet-long booms, are being installed at each of the four corners of the bridge. They are made of painted structural steel with stainless steel cables and will be illuminated at night from lighting installed vertically up the mast. The lighting on the masts as well as lighting on the underside of the bridge is programmable to change color. At the four corners will be 22-inch-by-26-inch narrative plaques inlaid on 5-feet-by-2-feet boat-shaped granite slabs. The plaques will honor the late Kenneth F. Burns, a former Shrewsbury police chief and a champion sculler who revived crewing on the lake in the late 1930s.
  
  

  There are eight 17-feet-long interpretive informational panels, similar in shape of a rowing scull and made of high-pressure laminate. The eight overlooks, or bump-outs, on the bridge, each containing 14 seats with backs, curve around the back of the interpretive panels. Four bump-outs at the ends of the bridge where the sails are located each have 12 backless seats.

  MassDOT and the project's contractor, Middlesex Corp., worked with members of historical commissions in Shrewsbury and Worcester, and others, including Thomas E. Conroy, professor and chair of urban studies at Worcester State University, to decide what information should go on the panels. Each has a different subject, including bridges, lake ecology, lakeside recreation, the Nipmuc tribe, Worcester, Shrewsbury, White City and regattas.

  Michael P. Perna Jr., a Shrewsbury historian who serves on the Shrewsbury Historical Commission, said he provided old photographs and information for five of the eight panels. Many of the photographs of Lake Quinsigamond and Shrewsbury date back to the 1850s, when the first regattas were held just before the Civil War. Mr. Perna, who is chief of military records for the state, said he is excited about the project and the area history it provides.

  "I can envision when they have regattas and crew races it's going to be a great place to walk along and sit on the benches and read the history of the area on these panels," he said.

  Mr. Conroy said five of his students worked to help gather information for some of the panels, including the ones about Worcester and the Nipmuc tribe, which once inhabited the area. Pictures include three Native American dugout canoes, or mishoons, from the Colonial or pre-Colonial eras that were recovered in the area.

  "I think it's a great opportunity to reach out and pique people's interest about the history of both communities. One of the challenges we had was to take the rich history of these two municipalities and condense it into small panels for each," he said.

  The Worcester panel includes information about the universities, industries, immigration, recreation, different cultures and history of some of the more radical elements of the city's history. The panel also has a sampling of some of the important people from the city, not necessarily elected officials, but those who had an impact. Among them are Major Taylor, the African-American world champion cyclist; Bob Cousy, retired professional basketball player; and abolitionists Abby Kelley Foster and her husband, Stephen Foster.

  Pamela J. Krause, granddaughter of Kenneth F. Burns, said she thinks her grandfather would be proud of his new namesake. She provided MassDOT and the contractor with pictures and information about Mr. Burns, who as a young man was one of the fastest scullers in New England. In 1937, he started a boys' rowing team at Shrewsbury High School. Lake Quinsigamond accomplishments attributed to him, include bringing back the Middle States Regatta in 1950, the National Regatta in 1951, the Olympic trials in 1952 and later the Eastern Sprints. Mr. Burns was also Shrewsbury police chief from 1947 until his retirement in 1970. He continued to coach crew until he died in 1982 at 77.

  Mrs. Krause, a retired teacher, and her husband, Russell, coach crew at Shrewsbury High School. She said her grandfather would love the color of the underside of the bridge, which is blue "like the water and the sky and his eyes."

  "I think they've done an excellent job with the bridge and taken care of business in a timely manner," Mrs. Krause said. "It looks great. It's not an awkward structure. It's something for everybody to be proud of. It blends into the scenery nicely."