A Malden street that closed after concrete fell from a bridge is open again. The Dartmouth Street underpass reopened Wednesday, September 23, after engineers determined the area was safe for vehicles and pedestrians, Malden Patch reports, citing Malden City Hall. Crews moved fencing to the side of the road that morning to let traffic through.

The trouble began the night of Wednesday, September 16. NBC Boston reported that concrete from the Florence Street bridge dropped onto Dartmouth Street and onto parked vehicles, and that police closed the street between Ramsdell Road and Garnet Street. Malden police, fire and Inspectional Services responded, and pedestrians were limited to one side of the roadway as a precaution, according to Malden Patch’s report on the closure. No injuries were reported.

A week of inspections

By Thursday morning, Dartmouth Street was still closed with no estimated reopening time, and the city was asking residents to avoid the area, use alternate routes and not move or bypass any barricades. That afternoon, the city said the overpass was gated off while repairs were under way and asked people to follow the posted detour signs. Malden Inspectional Services and bridge inspectors from the Massachusetts Department of Transportation were assessing the damage.

A private engineering firm, Simpson Gumpertz and Heger, known as SGH, later evaluated the structure as well. Crews first marked areas of concrete that raised concerns, then returned Tuesday, September 22, to remove them as a precaution against more concrete falling. After that, SGH engineers determined the underpass could reopen.

Netting soon, repairs in spring

The reopening isn’t the end of the work. Crews are expected to return in about a week to install precautionary netting beneath the underpass, which will remain in place until permanent repairs can be completed.

Samples will also be taken from the roadway, the top of the bridge deck and the underside of the deck for additional testing. SGH will use the results to recommend a course of action to address the deterioration that caused the concrete to fall.

From there, bid documents will be prepared for a future construction project, and the city is targeting the spring construction season for permanent repairs. The work is temperature sensitive, and city leaders believe there won’t be enough time to finish the necessary preparation before colder weather returns.

For now, the takeaway for drivers and pedestrians is simple: the concrete that raised concerns has been removed, engineers have signed off on reopening, and permanent repairs are targeted for spring.