Framework Raised for New Boston Medical Center-Menino Bridge

On Dec.6 the steel framework for a new pedestrian bridge was raised above Albany Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The new bridge will connect the hospital to the heliport and loading dock.

Every second is critical when moving patients from the heliport to the hospital. At Boston Medical Center, the busiest trauma hospital in New England, a new bridge designed by TRO JB and Odeh Engineers will allow for patients to be quickly transported from the heliport to the emergency department and eliminate the cost of travel by ambulance.

The bridge is a key element of the phased $184-million Menino Addition and Renovations project underway at BMC. The Menino project is led by a four-party team comprised of owner BMC, program manager Tocci Building Companies, architect and engineer TRO JB and construction manager Suffolk Construction. Utilizing a fully Integrated Project Delivery method, risk and reward is shared between the four parties and the key trade partners.

Work on the Menino project is being performed in multiple phases while the hospital remains fully operational. The bridge raising was a key milestone for the complex renewal and reconstruction project. Its rapid access for air transport patients will have a real and profound impact on time-sensitive emergencies and significantly contribute to the hospital’s annual operational savings goal of $20 million.

The bridge was prefabricated and lifted into place in a single assembly, minimizing downtime and disruption on a busy Boston street. The highly visible “yellow tube” that presently runs overhead will soon be removed, significantly updating and improving the campus infrastructure. Upon project completion in April 2018, the Menino project will provide new and upgraded spaces for radiology, surgery, emergency and trauma, pharmacy, central sterile processing, interventional procedures and inpatient care units.