Col. Justin Pabis, New England District Commander, joined Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey, in cutting the ribbon on the new Sartain Gate at Hanscom Air Force Base, July 15. Project Manager Eric Rosenberg accompanied the colonel to the event.
“This project is important for the safety of those who work and live on Hanscom,” said Rosenberg. “The Hanscom Air Force Base Sartain Gate is a Military Construction project aimed to modernize the main entrance gate for the installation in accordance with all Anti-terrorism and Force Protection standards.”
The new Sartain Gate Complex is a vast improvement over the old gate. Work on the project included constructing a new Entry Control Facility (ECF) that is located outside the existing Sartain Gate at Hanscom. The ECF includes a new visitor’s center, a new traffic check house with two ID booths, a new commercial vehicle inspection facility and a new raised overwatch booth.
The District also made other upgrades around the area which included constructing all new roadways, sidewalks, wayfinding, visitor parking, fencing and various vehicle barrier systems. Additionally, the stormwater management system for the area was upgraded.
“The site of the new ECF has features that meet Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) guidelines for anti-terrorism reduction requirements and standoff distances,” said Rosenberg. “The majority of existing infrastructure was removed, and almost all roadways within the area were reconfigured to create better traffic flow and slow vehicle speeds as they enter the Installation.”
The project required reconstructing and realigning Hanscom Drive and constructing a round-a-bout at the intersection of Hanscom Drive and Old Bedford Road. The existing temporary Commercial Vehicle Inspection Area, existing Visitors Center and existing ID Check House were demolished.
“All public roadways including the rotary are equipped with MassDOT standard bicycle lanes and a new MBTA bus stop,” said Rosenberg. “During construction it was imperative to maintain traffic going to and from Hanscom, Massachusetts Port Authority (MassPort) Hanscom Airfield, and Old Bedford Road.”
To achieve this, USACE and contractor J&J Contractor’s, Inc. utilized “fast tracking” construction approaches and implemented prescribed phases for turnover of the project to minimize disruptions for people accessing the installation.
As part of the project, work included rerouting an existing stream and filling in a wetland. For mitigation, USACE created an isolated vegetated wetland and planted 30 shrubs that included highbush blueberry, winterberry and black elderberry.
As with any USACE project, its partners are key to its success. Before the construction contract was awarded, there was extensive real estate coordination between the Commonwealth, MassPort, the National Parks Service, and Hanscom to allocate the land necessary to construct the new ECF. In total, a 22-acre parcel was made available to the Air Force which allowed the project to begin.
Construction remains underway for the final touches, including installation of the final denial vehicle barriers and the overwatch booth needed to complete the project. This fall, active vehicle barriers, which are large steel plates that lie flat with the road and when activated “pop-up” and block vehicles, will be installed.
“Hanscom has been using the new Commercial Vehicle Search Area since June 2024 and the visitor center and gatehouse since this May,” said Rosenberg.
In its final configuration, the Sartain Gate Complex will include entry control facilities and associated security infrastructure which significantly reduces the threat from adversaries by way of improved protection for all personnel at Hanscom. The project is scheduled to be complete in early 2026.
USACE, New England District has been proudly providing support to the nation’s warfighters since 1775, and it looks forward to serving them in the future.
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.26.2025 11:33 |
| Story ID: | 546507 |
| Location: | BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS, US |
| Web Views: | 14 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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